Three big names available in another Canadian market and the Leafs would be wise to inquire on all 3
The Leafs may be headed towards a bit of a re-tooling this summer, regardless of what new GM Brad Treliving says about wanting to retain all of Matthews, Tavares, Marner and Nylander. The fact of the matter is that running it back with a new GM may not be enough. That's where the Winnipeg Jets come in.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Jets will be listening to offers on 3 of their top players this summer in Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck and their top 2 centers in Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois. All 3 of these players should be alluring to the Leafs and the Buds are actually in a solid position to be able to acquire any one of them, as all 3 are entering the final year of their current contracts. The catch is that the Jets do not wish to embark upon a rebuild. They want to approach this summer with more of a re-tooling in mind.
When it comes to Hellebuyck, he'd be arguably the biggest loss for the Jets out of the 3 abovementioned players, but the Leafs have a number of ways to soften the blow and still keep the Jets in a position to contend. Naturally, I'm not talking about sending Matt Murray back in the deal. However, with how well both Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll had performed last season, it stands to reason that a package surrounding of these young goaltenders could entice the Jets, who are likely to lose Hellebuyck next summer for nothing next summer anyway - and both Samsonov and Woll are under team control. Samsonov is a restricted free agent this summer, so if the Jets were to acquire his negotiating rights, they could, in theory, lock him up long-term and answer their long-term goaltending questions.
As for Woll, he is inked through 2024-25 at a ridiculously low $766K. Having just posted a .932 SV% and a 2.16 GAA in the regular season and a .915 SV% and 2.43 GAA in the playoffs, he could be a star in the making. Trading Hellebuyck for a package that includes Woll is risky, as Woll is still a somewhat unproven commodity, but he could just as easily be a #1 NHL goalie, given what we've seen this year and in the brief glimpses throughout his young career.
When it comes to Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois, both could have immense value to the Leafs, who are reportedly already considering shifting captain John Tavares over to the wing this season. Planting either Scheifele or Dubois into that 2C spot in Toronto would vastly change the dynamic in the top 6 and provide the Buds with a player who is capable of making a real difference. In terms of what the Leafs could offer the Jets, the ask, I'm sure, would start with William Nylander.
We have seen 1-for-1 hockey trades pulled off in the past, so it's not unreasonable to think that the Leafs could land Dubois for Nylander in a 1-for-1 deal. Nylander is quite arguably the better player, but Dubois is bigger, nastier, and plays a more important position, so while the Leafs may suffer a net loss on paper, they might experience a net gain on the ice.
With Scheifele, it might be a little tougher to sell the Jets on a 1-for-1 swap. Scheifele is 3 years Nylander's senior, but has a longer history of success and productivity in the regular season and has a higher points-per-game in the playoffs. He also, again, plays a premium position. Thankfully, the Leafs have a slew of intriguing prospects in the organization with which they can sweeten the pot to entice the Jets.
Friedman did not mention the Leafs as being a team who might have interest, but I wouldn't be shocked if Treliving didn't at least call and take Kevin Cheveldayoff's temperature on a trade involving any one of these 3 true difference-makers.
| POLL | ||
4 JUIN | 417 ANSWERS Three big names available in another Canadian market and the Leafs would be wise to inquire on all 3 If you could only have one Jets player on the Leafs, who would it be? | ||
| Dubois | 47 | 11.3 % |
| Hellebuyck | 280 | 67.1 % |
| Scheifele | 69 | 16.5 % |
| Other/None | 21 | 5 % |
| List of polls | ||
