The Hawks could move a former 30-goal scorer and Dubas should inquire on him
The Toronto Maple Leafs have long been rumoured to be in the market for a left winger to bolster their top-six. Well, it just so happens that the Chicago Blackhawks may have made one available and he could be an intriguing option for Leafs GM Kyle Dubas.
With Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson having confirmed that the Hawks are entering a rebuild, there are a few players who could be available in Chicago. On in particular could be an excellent buy-low target for the Leafs.
There are a number of reasons why a trade for Dominik Kubalik makes a lot of sense for the Leafs, and a lot of them would also apply to Alex DeBrincat. But what separates these two players is what the Leafs can afford. Number one, the asking price on DeBrincat would be astronomical. Number two, DeBrincat's $6.4M salary just doesn't fit into the Leafs' current salary structure.
Kubalik, on the other hand, carries a much more modest $3.7M cap hit and, at 6'2, is a much bigger body than his counterpart in DeBrincat, who stands just 5'7. Kubalik also has a 30-goal season under his belt. The other factor that makes Kubalik so alluring is that he is an RFA after this season, so the Leafs would have an element of control there, even if the player technically does not have any term remaining on his current deal.
There is one caveat to acquiring a player like Kubalik if you're Leafs GM Kyle Dubas. Kubalik has been trending in the wrong direction from a production standpoint over the last two seasons. We can likely chalk that up to the Blackhawks regressing year over year, but at least some of that is on the player. To me, what that says is that Dubas would likely not have to break the bank to get him, so that's a plus.
Kubalik might not be the sexiest name available out there, but he's a cost-effective, top-six, scoring winger - which is exactly what the Leafs need to balance their roster. He's big, he's physical, he can score, he doesn't take a lot of bad penalties, his possession metrics are good and, for what it's worth, he's a Czech-born player.. that has seemed to work out nicely for the Leafs with Ondrej Kase and David Kampf thus far.
Most importantly, while Kubalik doesn't have a lot of playoff experience, he's pretty productive when he's been there. In 9 career NHL playoff games, Kubalik has scored 4 goals and added 4 assists for 8 points, so he delivers when it matters.
As far as what it would take to pry him away from Chicago, they're likely looking for a good, young prospect and a pick - possibly a third piece if the deal needs balancing. Since the Leafs are in win-now mode, I don't think they'd have any concerns whatsoever with paying that price if you're Kyle Dubas.
Whether or not Kubalik is even on the Leafs' radar remains to be seen, but he's certainly a player I'd take a look at if I was looking for a solid option to help improve the top-6 without breaking the bank.
| POLL | ||
MARS 2 | 217 ANSWERS The Hawks could move a former 30-goal scorer and Dubas should inquire on him Does Dominik Kubalik make sense for the Leafs? | ||
| There's always room for a 30-goal scorer | 73 | 33.6 % |
| We don't need another winger | 38 | 17.5 % |
| Focus on the blueline | 106 | 48.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
