TRAIKOS: Five directions that Leafs GM Kyle Dubas can take heading into the trade deadline | Toronto Sun
With less than three weeks remaining until the deadline, here is a look at the available options:
A TOP-FOUR D-MAN
The Leafs need a top-four defenceman. Lucky for them, the market is flooded with options, whether it’s power-play specialists (John Klingberg and Jakob Chychrun), penalty-killers (Ben Chiarot and Josh Manson) or minute-munchers (Hampus Lindholm and Jeff Petry).
But the guy who checks all boxes and should be at the top of Toronto’s wish list is Seattle’s Mark Giordano.
For one, he’s a Toronto native, who spent his career in the hockey hotbed of Calgary, where he was a teammate and frequent linemate of Brodie’s.
He’s also a captain, whose leadership would be immeasurable for a team that is under the gun.
A 1B GOALKEEPER
Forget about Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Maple Leafs don’t need a No. 1 goalie. They already have one. He’s just going through a lull right now. And if Jack Campbell doesn’t snap out of it — or if his confidence slips again during the playoffs — the Leafs are going to need a 1B they can turn to.
Someone who can step up and to do a better job than Petr Mrazek has been lately.
Someone such as Braden Holtby.
The 32-year-old had a rocky season sharing the net with Thatcher Demko in Vancouver last year, but he’s 9-10-1 with a 2.78 GAA and .912 save percentage in Dallas this year. Holtby also won a Stanley Cup in 2018, getting Washington over a similar hump that Toronto is trying to get over.
Best yet, he’s making only $2-million this year.
Again, you don’t need him to be the No. 1. You just need him to be a safety net — if not a sounding board — for Campbell and his insecurities.
It’s something Holtby has experience with, having played the mentor role for Demko last year.
A TOP-SIX FORWARD
While Dubas said it’s unlikely the team picks up another forward at the deadline, you can never score too many goals — especially in the playoffs, when teams are matching lines and offence is hard to come by.
It’s for this reason why a second-line winger makes sense.
Toronto needs someone who can provide a spark for John Tavares, who has gone 14 games without a goal, or someone who can make the third line more of a threat.
Vancouver’s J.T. Miller is at the top of every team’s wish list. But a more realistic option might be Chicago’s Brandon Hagel, who is on pace for close to 30 goals this season and has another two years remaining on a contract that carries a discount-friendly $1.5-million cap hit.
Think of him as another Michael Bunting.
Whether it’s Miller or Hagel or New Jersey’s Pavel Zacha, offensive depth shouldn’t be overlooked. After all, if last year’s playoffs were any indication, in which Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner combined for just one goal, the Leafs are going to need all the goal-scorers they can find.
MORE TRUE GRIT
Are the Leafs tough enough?
Toronto has Wayne Simmonds for protection. But with a post-concussed Muzzin, what they really need is someone who can push back, while also playing meaningful minutes.
The first name that comes to mind is Columbus’ Max Domi, whose father spent more than a decade in Toronto.
The younger Domi might not be as feared as his dad, but his game is still equal parts skill and sandpaper — the kind of thing that Nazem Kadri used to bring to the lineup.
STANDING PAT
Whether Dubas acquires a top-four defenceman, a top-six forward or another goalie, the team’s playoff hopes will ultimately hinge on the play of the highly paid stars.
The core — in particular, the $40-million Four — need to be the team’s best players. They certainly need to be better than they have been in previous playoffs. That means producing offensively.
But it also means stepping out of their comfort zone and doing the things that don’t come naturally to them, whether that’s taking the body or blocking or shot or even getting into a fight.
They are being paid to be leaders. Well, now is the time to lead.
Because if Matthews, Marner, Tavares and William Nylander do not show up and get the job done, it won’t matter who is in net or on defence or taking up a spot on the third line.
