One under-the-radar trade candidate for the Leafs who could surprise a lot of people
With the trade deadline only weeks away, we have been hearing a lot of different names who could end up in the blue and white. One name that hasn't been talked about much is Adam Henrique. Henrique currently plays for the Anaheim Ducks, a team who should be looking to sell, so one would have to imagine Anaheim would be willing to move on from the 33-year-old forward and his sizeable contract - even if they need to eat some salary to get a deal done.
Henrique is currently signed until the end of next season on a deal that carries a $5.825 million cap hit, meaning that in order for Toronto to seriously consider this player, Anaheim would have to retain half of Henrique's salary. This is something they should be willing to do, given the fact that they are well outside of a real contention window. The retention could cut Henrique's cap hit for the Leafs down to about $2.9 million, something the Leafs could certainly afford for this season and next. One potential wrinkle - Henrique has a modified no trade clause, in which he submits a ten-team no trade list, meaning he would have to want to come to Toronto.
Most recently, Henrique has been playing on the Ducks' top line on the left wing beside Trevor Zegras. So far this season, the 33-year-old Henrique leads his team in goals (19) and sits third in points (31) through 51 games played.
If the Leafs are looking to bolster the left wing, Henrique could be an under-the-radar fit in the middle six. He also has the versatility to be able to play center if the injury bug hits the Leafs up the middle in the postseason. If acquired, he could be a solid fit next to John Tavares and Mitch Marner on the Leafs' 2nd line. If the price isn't too steep, Kyle Dubas should be looking into this - and I'm sure he has.
| POLL | ||
10 FEVRIER | 136 ANSWERS One under-the-radar trade candidate for the Leafs who could surprise a lot of people Should the Leafs acquire Henrique? | ||
| Yes - but only at 50% retained | 42 | 30.9 % |
| Depends on the ask | 37 | 27.2 % |
| Hard pass. Spend the assets on someone better | 57 | 41.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
