Maple Leafs Analyst Lists 5 Trade Deadline Moves Toronto Will Make

 


The Eastern Conference hasn't seemed this wide open in a long time. It's really up for grabs. Which means getting aggressive on the trade front or not could make or break a contender's chances at a Stanley Cup appearance.

For the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sportsnet analyst Justin Bourne has listed off five things he expects to see (or not see) by the time the trade deadline comes and goes on March 7th. And stick with us, because the list gets more interesting as it goes along.

1. "A top-six centre, top-nine at worst"

This shouldn't be news to anyone. It's been painfully obvious this season, especially during the many absences of top two pivots Auston Matthews and John Tavares, that this team is badly in need of an impact center of some sort. Either a 2C or a 3C at least. Realistic names range from Brock Nelson on the higher end to Yanni Gourde on the lower end, and there are many others in between who would fit the bill. 

2. Depth Defenceman

This is another expected move that shouldn't surprise any Leaf followers. Sure, they've got a nice rotation of sixth and seventh defenseman in the likes of Simon Benoit, Philippe Myers, Conor Timmins,  and even Jani Hakanpaa (whenever he's ready to play), but Bourne says he expects "at least one new name that’s about a No. 4 or a No. 5" blueliner. He then throws out such possibilities as Mario Ferraro, David Savard, Brian Dumoulin, and Cody Ceci (wait, haven't they tried that before?). 

3. Nick Robertson probably gets traded

This has been talked about going all the way back to the beginning of last summer, when the oft-injured young sniper griped about his lack of opportunity in Toronto and his desire to go elsewhere. As an RFA, he eventually signed a cheap one-year deal, but it's become more and more apparent as the season has gone along that his days as a Leaf are numbered.

4. One of Fraser Minten or Easton Cowan gets traded

Whoa. Now this would take some fans by surprise. But as the old saying goes, ya gotta give something to get something. Is GM Brad Treliving ready to pull the trigger on dealing one of his better prospects to get an impact player? 

5. Morgan Rielly isn’t going anywhere

Forget the occasional rumors, says Bourne, it makes no sense for a team looking to make a good playoff run to trade away one of its better defensemen, especially one that's performed well in the playoffs in the past. Sure, it hasn't been Rielly's best regular season this year, but "he’s got more to give, and he’s going to be a part of the club, so let’s move on from that option," Bourne writes.

Exactly five weeks and counting until March 7th. 

Photo: © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images