5 potential landing spots for Leafs defenseman Justin Holl
The writing may already be on the wall for Leafs defender Justin Holl after Leafs GM Kyle Dubas went out and inked Victor Mete and Jordie Benn to one-year deals this summer.
The Leafs currently have T.J. Brodie and Timothy Liljegren likely slotted in for top-4 duties on the right side next season and Holl, who is on the books for one more season at $2M, is an excellent rush defender, but is otherwise a replacement-level defender and makes a little bit too much for a #6 or #7 defenseman. With RFA Rasmus Sandin still needing a contract, Holl appears the most likely to be on the move in order to make room.
In terms of who might be interested, there are several teams who could take a run at Holl as an option in their top four. Here are 5 potential trade partners who could make sense for the Leafs.
1. The Edmonton Oilers
Tyson Barrie is likely on his way out of town after a mediocre 2021-22 season and an abysmal playoffs that saw him sliding down the depth chart on the right side and producing just 5 points in 16 playoff games, despite playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the power play. Barrie is locked up for 2 more years at $4.5M and the Oilers' next most-experienced right shot defender is Cody Ceci, who is locked up for 3 more years at $3.25M. Holl could come in and provide a stable rush defense presence for the Oilers and save them between $1.25M and $2.5M by replacing one of Barrie or Ceci.
2. The Vegas Golden Knights
While the Golden Knights are currently well over the salary cap, they did acquire the LTIR contract of Shea Weber and will also have goaltender Robin Lehner sidelined for the season. With the Golden Knights only having two right-shot defenders in Alex Pietrangelo and Zach Whitecloud, they could certainly use a third.
3. The Chicago Blackhawks
Like Vegas, the Chicago Blackhawks have just two right-shot defenders in Seth Jones and the injured Connor Murphy. Chicago is in no way, shape or form looking to contend, but they still need to ice a complete roster. Obviously, going from Toronto to Chicago would be a huge downgrade for Holl, but it would also provide him with ample opportunity to play meaningful minutes and set himself up for a larger UFA deal next summer.
4. The Winnipeg Jets
The Jets are also a team with only two right shot defenders. Like Chicago, they're likely not going to be contenders next season and could still have an interest in Holl if they do plan to move some key pieces out for future assets for a rebuild. If bodies move, they'll need bodies to replace them. For Holl, he could parlay a strong individual season in front of Connor Hellebuyck into a nice new deal as a free agent next year.
5. The Washington Capitals
The Caps are the only Eastern Conference team on this list, but could be the best fit from a trade perspective. There was an idea proposed a week or two ago that a 1-for-1 swap between the two teams involving Holl for Hathaway. The deal does make some sense, but perhaps an even better idea for the Leafs would be to target a draft pick or two from a future draft - say 2025, when the Caps may be starting a rapid decline at the tail end of Alex Ovechkin's career. This would help the Leafs avoid taking on any additional salary, which would help them re-sign Rasmus Sandin, but is also a bit of a smart gamble in that the pick(s) they receive from Washington being higher than the Caps might anticipate.
I'm sure there are some other teams who might have an interest in a player like Justin Holl, but for the purposes of this article, I'd like to think these are the top-5 potential landing spots.
Shout out to CapFriendly, as they have made it very easy for writers like myself to do a quick scan of all 31 potential trade partners for the Leafs to determine the most likely fits in pieces like this one.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 12 | 283 ANSWERS 5 potential landing spots for Leafs defenseman Justin Holl Where will Justin Holl play next season? | ||
| Washington | 55 | 19.4 % |
| Chicago | 60 | 21.2 % |
| Winnipeg | 39 | 13.8 % |
| Other/Or remains with the Leafs | 129 | 45.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
