Analyst proposes an interesting Leafs trade proposal that would both clear cap space and help the team get better
Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is both crafty and intelligent, two qualities that make for an excellent NHL general manager. He's also very young for the position and I do believe that even though he's made some very shrewd moves, we have still yet to see his very best. We can thank the flat cap, at least in part, for that. With the Leafs finally in a position where they have plenty of roster flexibility and some cap flexibility (which will only improve once the cap goes up), I think we're going to begin to see what Dubas and company are really capable of.
An idea from Maple Leafs Hot Stove's Kevin Papetti might be a logical place to start. Papetti pondered the idea of an Alexander Kerfoot for William Carrier swap between the Leafs and the Vegas Golden Knights. While the move may not appear to be a particularly strong one on paper for the Leafs, when you begin to peel back the layers, it actually makes a world of sense. It also makes the Leafs a better team now.
For starters, Carrier is the owner of a $1.4M cap hit, while Kerfoot eats up $3.5M against the cap for the Leafs. Kerfoot is also a pending UFA, whereas Carrier has an extra year on his deal and is locked up through 2023-24.
The next factor here is that Carrier is a relentless forechecker who also happens to be a 6-foot-2, 220-pound wrecking ball. The 27-year-old left winger racked up 159 hits in just 63 games last season, but what is perhaps the most intriguing thing about Carrier is his ability to play such an imposing, physical game while not taking himself out of position. He also boasts a career 112-55 takeaway to giveaway ratio.
Papetti views Carrier in the same arena as a player like Zach Hyman who can play a feisty, yet responsible two-way game and although his 20 points last season pale in comparison to Kerfoot's 51 points last season, the Leafs would likely be winning Carrier's minutes. They're often losing Kerfoot's minutes - especially when he's been skating with John Tavares and William Nylander on the Leafs' 2nd line.
There's also something quite surprising about Carrier. Despite the fact that he is such a physical and competitive player, he doesn't take a whole lot of penalties. In fact, Carrier has never had more than 40 penalty minutes in a single season in his 6-year NHL career. He's had more than 30 PIMs only twice in his career as well. Add to that the fact that he's a solid producer at 5v5 and that he could simultaneously save the Leafs cap space AND make the team better and you have the recipe for a trade win for the Buds.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 6 | 556 ANSWERS Analyst proposes an interesting Leafs trade proposal that would both clear cap space and help the team get better Should the Leafs swap Alex Kerfoot for William Carrier in a 1-for-1 deal? | ||
| Definitely | 393 | 70.7 % |
| Not worth it | 75 | 13.5 % |
| Who? | 88 | 15.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
