Insider links the Leafs to 4 intriguing trade options as Brad Treliving looks to reshape roster
The Leafs could have 12 roster spots available depending on which UFAs Brad Treliving decides to bring back and let walk. With upwards of $14M of cap space, once Jake Muzzin is placed on LTIR, the Leafs will not have much money to work with and likely won't be big spenders in free agency. The trade route seems to be the most likely option of the Leafs improving their defensive core and bottom six forwards.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period has connected the Leafs to 4 players: Scott Laughton, Carter Hart, Dan Vladar, and Lawson Crouse. The Leafs have liked Laughton for a long time and tried to acquire him before he signed his extension in Philly. He has 3 years left at a reasonable $3M per season and could fill the second line center role while also adding some grit and physicality to the top/middle six of the Leafs.
The connections to Carter Hart and Dan Vladar don't make much sense because the Leafs have Matt Murray, who they will trade or buyout, Ilya Samsonov who is an RFA and Joseph Woll, who is signed for another 2 seasons. The only way that acquiring Hart or Vladar makes sense is if Samsonov's ask is deemed to be too much for the Leafs and they let him walk the same way the Capitals did last season.
As for Crouse, he is what the Leafs need in terms of a hulking power forward that can do a bit of everything. He is entering just the second year of a 5 year deal he signed last summer that will see him earn $4.3M per season. At 6'4 and 220 pounds, Crouse is a wrecking ball and isn't afraid to drop the gloves when needed, but he has also found his scoring touch the last few seasons. He is coming off of back-to-back 20+ goal seasons and set a career high in points with 45 on a terrible Arizona Coyotes team.
The Maple Leafs have a lot of options when it comes to creating cap space which could open them up to be very creative this summer. One thing is for sure though, with how frequently that Brad Treliving works the phones the Maple Leafs name will certainly appear in the rumor mill much more frequently than it did under Kyle Dubas.
| POLL | ||
20 JUIN | 899 ANSWERS Insider links the Leafs to 4 intriguing trade options as Brad Treliving looks to reshape roster Which player would you most like to see in a Leafs jersey? | ||
| Carter Hart | 137 | 15.2 % |
| Scott Laughton | 187 | 20.8 % |
| Lawson Crouse | 535 | 59.5 % |
| Dan Vladar | 40 | 4.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
