The One Trade That Could Instantly Shift the Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup Odds
Photo credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs could boost their Stanley Cup odds drastically by trading for Pittsburgh's Rickard Rakell in order to replace their offensive punch.
There's been tons of talk over the past several weeks regarding who the Maple Leafs may bring in to shore up their top-six, give them the scoring punch they need, and try to recoup some of the offense lost by the departure of Mitch Marner.
Linked to several names from Bryan Rust to Brayden Schenn all the way to Sidney Crosby, it's seems to be a Penguins-heavy trade block when it comes to a potential deal.
A Blockbuster Brewing In Steeltown?
If so, that's great news for the Maple Leafs considering they have a couple of pieces that would seriously add to the lineup, but it will come at a cost. However, a report from Josh Yohe of The Athletic shows that perhaps a trade is closer than we thought.
Regarding the future of the Penguins, Yohe explained that he believes not only Rust, but Rickard Rakell is on the block, and would be a perfect addition to a team desperate for scoring while Pittsburgh inevitably waves the white flag for Gavin McKenna.
Penguins president/general manager Kyle Dubas isn't selling Rakell and Rust for peanuts, nor is he married to the idea of keeping them for the long term.
Still, I keep going back to what several team sources have told me: Dubas wants to go young next season.
Dubas hasn't received offers that meet his liking yet, but he is fully committed to a rebuild. That means that having 30-somethings like Rust, Rakell and Mantha in your lineup doesn't make much sense.
Again, the goal is to get younger. Rust and Rakell are good enough that they'll not only hurt the Penguins' chances of earning a top-five pick, but they should also fetch a significant return.
Still, I keep going back to what several team sources have told me: Dubas wants to go young next season.
Dubas hasn't received offers that meet his liking yet, but he is fully committed to a rebuild. That means that having 30-somethings like Rust, Rakell and Mantha in your lineup doesn't make much sense.
Again, the goal is to get younger. Rust and Rakell are good enough that they'll not only hurt the Penguins' chances of earning a top-five pick, but they should also fetch a significant return.
So with Dubas looking to get younger, and those veterans going to get a change of scenery eventually, what better place than Toronto?
The Leafs Are Built to Win, But One Piece Still Feels Missing
For a team that is still lacking that oomph factor, Toronto seriously needs to pursue either player. Yes, they are as deep as ever, have some fantastic goaltending and defense, and the pieces brought in are meant to change how this team plays.
But you need scoring to win games, and while the team has enough firepower with Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, John Tavares, and William Nylander; they still lack that fifth piece who can give them that little bit extra.
Rust is a great target because of his Stanley Cup experience, playing alongside Sidney Crosby, and great two-way play. Rakell adds a lot more scoring potential and physicality but lacks that playoff punch that Rust brings.
Plus, they would need to be responsible for paying either man their $5-million plus deals, and while that's not terrible in the grand scheme of things, the team needs to ship out money somewhere.
So if Kyle Dubas wants to wave the white flag, all the power to him. Let's just hope he has his old team in mind when the fire sale begins.
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