The Leafs reportedly very high on a Winnipeg Jets forward; could a move be made on Monday?
With Leafs Nation sitting back over the past week and watching all of our division rivals make significant moves to address their roster needs, there was some unrest and concern over how Leafs GM Kyle Dubas would respond to the moves of his counterparts. On Sunday, he responded in a big way.
Dubas struck a deal with the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, acquiring captain Mark Giordano (50% retained salary) and forward Colin Blackwell in exchange for a 2nd round pick in 2022, a 2nd round pick in 2023 and a 3rd round pick in 2024. So, not only did Dubas address two of his roster needs in the same trade, he also didn't do what his competitors did - give up a 1st round pick or any of his prospect.
There were some rumblings that the Leafs may, in fact, be done ahead of Monday's 3:00pm ET trade deadline, but The Athletic's James Mirtle revealed something about the Leafs on Sunday that raised a few eyebrows. He suggested that the Leafs had been scouting Winnipeg's Andrew Copp, even going so far as saying the Leafs really liked the Jets forward.
Copp, 27, is a feisty center who also has the ability to play the left wing. He has played up and down the Jets' lineup and could slot in either on the wing with John Tavares and William Nylander on the Leafs' second line or even center the fourth line with the newly acquired Colin Blackwell and veteran Jason Spezza.
The Ann Arbor, MI native has seen a spike in ice time this season, playing nearly 20 minutes per night on average. In 55 games with the Jets in 2021-22, Copp has managed to amass 32 points, sitting very close to where he did last year in the same number of games. Copp is on pace to smash his previous career bests in goals, assists and points.
At 6'1, 206 lbs, Copp will not easily be pushed around by the opposition and while he's not a guy who's going to put the fear of God in you with his physicality, he also doesn't shy away from finishing his checks.
Could acquiring Copp be next on Dubas' to do list? The Leafs do have the cap space to fit him in if Winnipeg is willing to retain some salary. In fact, if Petr Mrazek is claimed on waivers or traded once he clears, the Leafs will have plenty of cap space with which to continue to add pieces. Also, the Jets just completed a trade with the Seattle Kraken to re-acquire Mason Appleton, who is expected to be Copp's replacement. Copp, a pending UFA, is certainly going to move. Now it's just a matter of where.
This is a very important trade deadline for Kyle Dubas and company. After several years of disappointment during the Matthews era, this team really needs a postseason win - and one round is not good enough. The Leafs will need to win multiple rounds in order to restore some of the faith that Leafs Nation, management and ownership may have lost in this team during last year's collapse against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Buds will undoubtedly face a much tougher first round opponent this season, regardless of who it is. Tampa, Florida and Boston all pose their own unique problems for the Leafs. Adding players with a wide variety of skill sets could be the difference between winning a 7-game series and coming up short once again.
| POLL | ||
MARS 20 | 295 ANSWERS The Leafs reportedly very high on a Winnipeg Jets forward; could a move be made on Monday? Should the Leafs trade for Winnipeg's Andrew Copp? | ||
| Yes, he's a quality player | 127 | 43.1 % |
| No, they don't need forwards | 51 | 17.3 % |
| Only if the price is right | 95 | 32.2 % |
| Don't care! Just win, baby! | 22 | 7.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
