The always creative Kyle Dubas could be looking to acquire another LTIR contract
Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is as crafty and creative as they come, and with Friday's report that he could be looking to retain all of his 2022 1st rounder, Nick Robertson, Topi Niemela, Matthew Knies, Rodion Amirov and Nick Abruzzese, many Leafs fans have been wondering how he plans to add to his team.
As we all know, you have to give up something to get something, and while the Leafs have other prospects and other picks (in next year's draft), the assets that teams are going to find the most enticing are the ones listed above.
But, what if there was a way for Kyle Dubas to get a player that he wants without having to give up any of the aforementioned AND buy himself some additional cap space for a subsequent move to address another area of need? Is that even possible? Well, it is - and the answer lies in LTIR.
Dubas could strike a deal with another team to take an LTIR contract off of their hands in exchange for trade equity to acquire a player that he covets from that team. It's definitely creative and it just might work. Here are some prime candidates.
The Dallas Stars:
Dubas is rumoured to be in the market for a defenseman. He is believed to have kicked tires on right-shot offensive defenseman John Klingberg earlier this season and he is believed to be circling back to Stars GM Jim Nill on the veteran blueliner.
The Stars are slipping further away from a playoff spot in the Central Division, and with just 31 games remaining in the season, Nill and company will have to make a decision on whether to buy or sell at the deadline. With where they are in the Central Division standings, it would not surprise me in the least if they were sellers.
Ben Bishop announced earlier this season that his playing days are officially over. He carries a $4.916M cap hit for the remainder of this season and next. The Stars are not exactly the league's most profitable franchise, so it stands to reason that they might wish to unload Bishop's LTIR contract. If the Leafs took on that deal, it could significantly reduce the Stars' asking price on Klingberg.
The Buffalo Sabres:
The Sabres, and more specifically, the Pegulas, are a pretty frugal bunch. I'm certain that the organization would look for any opportunity, given where they are in the standings, to shed some LTIR dollars.
Buffalo is currently on the hook for $4M of Johnny Boychuk's $6M cap hit. Could the Leafs agree to take on Boychuk's contract in a deal that saw them acquire some additional assets to flip to another team in a deal for a piece that they need? It would certainly be a creative way to hold onto all of their own picks and prospects this year - at least the ones they wish to retain.
The Leafs may have to include a player in the deal to remain cap compliant before transferring Boychuk over to LTIR, but there are some options for the Leafs in this regard.
The Chicago Blackhawks:
The Hawks have multiple players that could be of interest to the Leafs at the deadline. Dominik Kubalik, Connor Murphy and, of course, Brandon Hagel are all players who can add at least some of what the Leafs are looking for in a deadline acquisition. In the case of Hagel, he checks just about every box in that he's feisty, works hard, can play both wing and center, produces well and has experience playing with skilled players.
Chicago has Andrew Shaw on LTIR for the remainder of this season at $3.9M. Perhaps Dubas can convince the Hawks to move Hagel in exchange for taking on Shaw's contract to decrease the ask on Hagel (believed to be a 1st rounder and a quality prospect).
These are just a few examples of what Dubas might look to do at or ahead of the deadline to give himself a piece or pieces he's looking for, while also giving himself a bit more financial flexibility for subsequent moves.
