Insider mentions a possible blockbuster deadline acquisition for the Leafs
There has been a lot of talk about the Leafs' trade deadline plans in a year as important as this one. The team suddenly has access to some cap relief with the injury to Jake Muzzin. The good news is, the team's defensive depth has been put to the test and exceeded all expectations, which makes it possible for the Leafs to make a move to improve their forward group instead.
There has been some musical chairs played with the Leafs' 2LW slot. For the moment, it belongs to Calle Jarnkrok, who has done well with John Tavares and Mitch Marner. As good as Jarnkrok has been, there is still some room for improvement. Adding another bona-fide star in that slot would be a huge boost for the team. Today on the Jeff Marek Show, Elliotte Friedman suggested that Sharks winger Timo Meier would be a perfect fit for the Leafs.
I've been on the Meier train for a while now. His production in San Jose is nearly identical to William Nylander's in Toronto. Meier's game is more physical than Nylander's though and he is a strong forechecker as well. Meier is an RFA after this season, but with his $10M qualifying offer, the Leafs would probably treat him like a UFA and elect not to qualify him in the summer - or potentially flip his negotiating rights immediately after their playoff run.
With a current cap hit of $6M, the Leafs would have to move salary to fit Meier, even with salary retained. The cost would certainly be high, starting with the Leafs' first round pick and, I would imagine, a very good prospect - and that's just for starters.
If Dubas can pull off a deal for Meier without giving up Matthew Knies, I would consider it a huge win. It's the type of move that may take the Leafs from a contender to a Stanley Cup favourite.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 3 | 1718 ANSWERS Insider mentions a possible blockbuster deadline acquisition for the Leafs Who would you rather see the Leafs pursue? | ||
| Timo Meier | 486 | 28.3 % |
| Ryan O'Reilly | 504 | 29.3 % |
| Patrick Kane | 317 | 18.5 % |
| Get a defenceman | 411 | 23.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
