Now that we have celebrated Christmas we are getting close to the real most wonderful time of the year, that does not have the children going back to school. I am of course talking about the NHL TRADE DEADLINE!! Which teams will be sellers, who will be buyers, who will sit idle? All these answers and more will be answered on that glorious day. I know here in Canada it is almost an unofficial holiday as millions of Canadians have their eyes glued to Trade Centre on TSN and Hockey Central Deadline Day on Sportsnet. It doesn’t matter which media outlet you are watching on (I’m sure I am not the only one who flips between the two of them and then on twitter almost constantly as well) you will get the information very fast and from very reliable sources. I would like to take this time to focus on my favourite NHL team and what they could possibly do at the trade deadline and that team would of course be the blue and white of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This season has been amazing so far and it started way back on Canada Day July 1st when the NHL free agency period opened and shortly after the noon start time those words that still give me chills just thinking about it are said. “JOHN TAVARES IS A TORONTO MAPLE LEAF.” The Leafs already had Matthews, Marner, Marleau, Kadri, Kapanen, Nylander (who held out until December but that is beside the point), Reilly, Dermott & Andersen. This team, and rightfully so, became one of the odds on favourites to win the Stanley Cup in the 2018-19 season after that singing. Even with all that offensive talent there is always room for improvement. With the time coming close I will be listing the names of some of the players the Maple Leafs may look at to adding at the deadline and I will also go into depth on some of the ones I believe that the Maple Leafs should go after. All of the stats from the stats that I will be mentioning in this post are as of the roster freeze on December 23, 2018 so they will change before the trade deadline on February 25.

First I’ll start with the defence which has been an area that has been needing the most improvement for some time. The list goes as follows. Nikolas Kronwall from Detroit, Mathew Dumba from Minnesota, Alex Pietrangelo from St. Louis, Colton Parayko from St. Louis, Karl Alzner from Montreal playing in the AHL for Laval, Duncan Keith from Chicago, Chris Tanev from Vancouver, Alexander Edler from Vancouver, Ben Lovejoy from New Jersey, Darnell Nurse from Edmonton, Cody Ceci from Ottawa, Brett Pesce from Carolina & Justin Faulk from Carolina. Next I will list the forwards which will be a much shorter list as they do not need too much help on the front end. Wayne Simmonds from Philadelphia, Michael Ferland from Carolina, Trevor Lewis from Los Angeles, & Ryan Reaves from Las Vegas. Finally a look at a potential backup goalie and that would be Jimmy Howard from Detroit.

Now let me start this by going into depth as to why I believe the Maple Leafs could really use Jimmy Howard as a backup going down the stretch. Let me start by saying I highly doubt that the Maple Leafs would even consider making a move to acquire Jimmy, however are you really satisfied with Garrett Sparks being the backup? I know I am certainly not. That is not a knock on Sparks as he has proven in the AHL he is a great starting goalie but a backup in the NHL is a completely different game. I believe if the Maple Leafs where to make a trade for Howard that Sparks would almost certainly have to be going the other way and I would wish him the best in Detroit and I believe he will become a great starter in the NHL but not a backup. Anyways let me get back onto the topic of Jimmy Howard. I know you must be saying that I am crazy in thinking this but if Detroit does make him available at the trade deadline and the Red Wings decide to go with Bernier as their starter the Maple Leafs would recieve one hell of a goalie in return. The 6 foot 218 pound goalie out of Syracuse, New York has a pretty good record for his career in the NHL. In 485 career games played in the NHL he has a record of 231-159-67 with a Goals Against Average of 2.50 and a save percentage at 0.951. Lets just put two of those numbers up against two Hall Of Fame goalies. I know Jimmy Howard has not played the same amount of games and I am not saying that Jimmy Howard will make the Hall Of Fame at all but lets just see the numbers and compare for fun. First up is Patrick Roy his career GAA was 2.54 and save % was 0.910. Another Hall Of Fame goalie is Martin Brodeur with a career GAA of 2.24 and save % of 0.912. So Martin has a better goals against average but Jimmy Howard has a better save percentage than both of these hall of fame goalies. Like I said earlier I know he has played significantly less games than the two I compared him to but those are pretty impressive numbers. Those numbers have taken a bit of a hit in the past couple of seasons as Detroit has fallen far from the Red Wings of the past 30 years and should be looking at a potential rebuild to bring the franchise back to prominence. I highly doubt the Maple Leafs would make a move for a goalie unless Frederick Andersen gets hurt, God I hope he doesn’t because we would be pretty screwed if he does get hurt for significant amount of time, but for a UFA on July 1st and only having to pay a fraction of his $5.291 million owed to him this season, it might be something that Kyle Dubas should kick the tires on.

Next onto the forwards and lets start with the one name that has really been rumoured lately in joining the Maple Leafs recently especially since his team has a new Coach and GM now and that is Scarborough’s own Wayne Simmonds. This 6 foot 185 pound power forward is something that the Maple Leafs have been missing in recent years. This guy has drawn a lot of comparisons to many different players in the NHL past and present but the one that I really like is to Wendel Clark. Wayne has played 797 games in the NHL and has 237 goals, 233 assists for 460 points and 1005 penalty minutes. These numbers are great for a power forward and I can only imagine how much he could improve on these numbers by playing on the wing with a guy like Auston Matthews. I know Kyle Dubas has said recently that he is not looking for rental players but this is one guy who you could acquire at the deadline and possibly even re sign him after the trade has been made. If I am Kyle Dubas this is one move that I really try to make but not give up a player like Kapanen in return for the power forward. Maybe Connor Brown even though he is a great young player too but in order to get talent you have to give up talent.

Another power forward that Kyle Dubas could look at is form the Las Vegas Golden Knights and he is the 6 foot 225 pounds solid power forward from Winnipeg, Manitoba Ryan Reaves. Let me start by saying this move is just about as likely as Pittsburgh trading Sidney Crosby to Philadelphia but lets look at it anyways. Ryan Reaves has played 536 career games in the NHL putting up 38 goals, 35 assists for 73 points and 832 penalty minutes. So he may not put the big numbers up offensively BUT in just 38 games this season he has tied his career high in goals with 7 and is only 1 point of his career high of 13. He is having a great season as far as his number goes he is also still under contract until the end of the 2019-20 season and makes a pretty modest $2.775 million as far as NHL veterans make. This move, however unlikely, would make Toronto a lot tougher down the stretch and would help them immensely in the playoffs in a series against lets say those pain in my ass division rivals Boston Bruins. I can just picture it now, Ryan Reaves catching Brad Marchand doing something stupid that he does, like licking an opponent, and here comes Ryan Reaves to take care of him. I really wish that Dubas could somehow pull of this miracle type of move but I know that Vegas would not give him up for cheap and I am not sure that Dubas or Leafs Nation would feel comfortable giving up what Vegas may ask for in return like a Kapanen, Marner, Nylander, Early round draft picks and top prospects. If we could catch them off guard and maybe give up something like an Ennis, Brown, Gauthier or even Kadri I think that Dubas would pull this move off.

Next up as a potential fit at the deadline lets look at Trevor Lewis from the Los Angeles Kings. I know this name is not a big or a splashy name but with the way the Kings are playing this year almost anybody is available but cap space wise he might be the best fit. Trevor is 6 foot 205 pounds from Salt Lake City, Utah. He has a career total of 591 games played, 63 goals, 79 assists, 142 points and 146 penalty minutes. I know these numbers is not eye popping at all but he has also played his entire career with the Kings and does have 2 Stanley Cup rings from his time there. Trevor would be another depth player on either the third or fourth line but his experience making far runs in the playoffs would come in handy with our young Leafs team and at a cap hit of $2 million and under contract until the end of the 2019-20 season he may be just what we need to get over the hump and possibly win the Stanley Cup and end our over 50 year drought.

The final forward that I think could be a good fit for the Maple Leafs is Michael Ferland from Carolina. Again not a big or flashy name but in 278 games played he has 53 goals, 52 assists, 105 points and 152 penalty minutes. He is another depth guy that the Maple Leafs could use up front on the bottom 6 forwards on the roster. He is 6 foot 208 pounds and from Swan River, Manitoba and is a cap hit of $1.75 million with becoming a UFA on July 1. He could be a good fit upfront for the Maple Leafs but if I was Kyle Dubas, I would only entertain the offer of him if I had tried to get the others mentioned and for some reason they didn’t pan out or able to come to an agreement for any of the other players because we may be able to get him for less than the other would require to give up in a trade. up next I will take a look at potential defence men that the Maple Leafs should look into acquiring to help out the back end and take some of the load off of Frederick Andersen.

Lets start with a name that has been linked to the Maple Leafs in recent weeks Alex Pietrangelo. Alex is a 6 foot 3 inch 200 pounds defence man out of King City, Ontario. He has already played 641 games in the NHL with 84 goals, 284 assists, 368 points and 205 penalty minutes. He is currently the captain of the St. Louis Blues and is a solid defence man that is a top 2 pairing player. Just imagine having Morgan Reilly and Alex Pietrangelo on the ice at the same time as a defence pairing. This one seems to be the best fit right now and if St. Louis is willing to give him up and the asking price is right then Kyle Dubas should make this trade every day of the week. He is making $6.5 million and under contract until the end of the 2019-20 season. He is the type of player that can put the defence over the edge and possibly be one of the keys to bring a Stanley Cup back to Toronto.

Next lets look at another player that has been linked to the Maple Leafs this season and is also a member of the St. Louis Blues Colton Parayko. Colton is a 6 foot 6 inch 230 pound defence man out of St. Albert, Alberta who make $5.5 million annually and is under contract the end of the 2021-22 season. In his NHL career he has totalled 276 games played, 26 goals, 87 assists, 113 points and 80 penalty minutes. He is a solid physical defence man who has the ability to be a top 2 defence man along side of Morgan Reilly and as you can see by his PIM he plays a very clean physical game. This guy could be just the edge that Toronto needs on the back end especially in the Playoffs against teams like Boston and Tampa Bay.

The next defence man up is the oldest on the list and he is Duncan Keith. He is 6 foot 1 inch, weighing 192 pounds and is from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is under contract until the end of 2022-23 season and makes $5.538 million annually. He has 1034 games played in the NHL, 92 goals, 467 assists, 559 points and 589 penalty minutes. I know he maybe a little older than what some people want in being 35 years young, but is just a solid defensively as anyone in the NHL today. As his numbers show he is one of the greatest two way defence men that has been in the NHL. Duncan is the kind of player that needs a change of scenery from the collapse that is happening in Chicago right now. At 35 he still has plenty left in the tank. He might not be a top 2 guy right now but I ask you to find a better person to be a top 4 defence man in the NHL today. Just look at his resume this guy is a winner. He has won 3 Stanley Cups (2010, 2013 & 2015), 2 Olympic Gold Medals (2010 & 2014), 1 Conn Smythe Trophy (2015), 1 World Cup of Hockey (2016) and he was also named one of the top 100 NHL players in the history of the league in 2017. On top of those accomplishments he has also been to the NHL All Star Game 4 times (2008, 2011, 2015 & 2017) and has won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top defence man twice (2010 & 2014). The only reason that I do not have him higher on my list is because I am not too sure if he really wants out of Chicago and also not too sure if Stan Bowman wants to trade Duncan away. If Stan decides to trade Duncan away I am almost positive that Duncan would want to come to Toronto to have a chance to win another Stanley Cup.

Next on my list is Mathew Dumba from the Minnesota Wild. He is 6 feet 182 pounds from Regina, Saskatchewan (aka the town that rhymes with fun). He is under contract until the end of the 2022-23 season making $6 million annually. He has played 342 games in the NHL with 56 goals, 94 assists, 150 points & 184 penalty minutes. I know recent news about him having a significant injury that requires surgery and quite the amount of time off he still has a lot of upside to him. At 24 he is still young and about to enter the prime of his career and he is also locked up long term. He is a top 4 defence man pairing that could possibly be a top 2. I highly doubt that Minnesota is willing to give up on Matt right now and if they do they will pretty much ask for the farm in return, but in my mind that maybe worth the risk. Matt is the type of player that can add a lot to the young nucleus that the Maple Leafs have currently and can build with these guys to win many Stanley Cups now and in the future.

The next defence man is another young player that I really wish that they could some how acquire and that is Darnell Nurse. He is 6 foot 4 inches 221 pounds and from Hamilton, Ontario. He currently makes $3.2 million and he is under contract until the end of the 2019-20 season. After that season the best part is he is STILL RESTRICTED. Even being at 23, he has 223 games played, 19 goals, 44 assists, 63 points and 194 penalty minutes. Darnell is a young stud defence man that has a lot of potential. The only thing with him being so young, unless Edmonton keeps struggling like they have to start this season, the Oilers may not want to give up Darnell or if they do they will want a lot of young talent in return or draft picks which is not really what Kyle Dubas will not want to give up at this time. I really hope that Kyle could somehow pull of a trade to land either Mathew Dumba or Darnell Nurse, in a perfect world he would get both but I am not greedy.

Next on my list of the top potential fit defence men is Christopher Tanev from the Vancouver Canucks. Christopher is a 29 year old from Toronto, Ontario who is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 197 pounds. He has played in 424 games in the NHL with 20 goals, 73 assists, 93 points and 74 penalty minutes. Chris in my mind is an under rated shut down, puck moving defence man with an extremely high hockey IQ. He played on the 2016 Team Canada at the World Hockey championship that won the Gold Medal. In that tournament he was paired with Morgan Reilly and they were the top defence pairing in the tournament by not allowing a single goal against while they were on the ice together. This could be a great defence pairing on the Maple Leafs and they hopefully would be able to build of that chemistry they had back at the 2016 World Hockey Championship.

The last potential fit on defence that I will look at is Brett Pesce from the Carolina Hurricanes. He is 24 years old who is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds from Tarrytown, New York. He makes $4.025 million annually and he is under contract until the end of the 2023-24 season. He has played 242 games in the NHL with 12 goals, 50 assists, 62 points and 64 penalty minutes. Brett is a young and VERY underrated defence man that could be a big part of the future of the Maple Leafs. He is young and currently under contract for quite some time. There is a lot of upside to Brett and as of right now I see him as a 5 or 6 defence man but he could easily slide up into the top 4 very quickly. I think Carolina is not willing to give up on this young stud defence man as of yet but if Carolina comes down from this surprise high they have been on lately before February then maybe Kyle Dubas could swing a deal that works well for both teams with out having to give up some young prospects and draft picks, maybe trade Ron Hainsey back to Carolina as part of the deal? Just spinning the tires here don’t mind me.

So in conclusion this is the list of players that if I was Kyle Dubas, I would try to work deals out for to help the Maple Leafs win a Stanley Cup now and many more in the near future. This Maple Leafs team is the best Maple Leafs team that I have ever seen, and yes I was alive for the teams from the early to mid as well as the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Those teams were great but they did not have the star power that the current roster does. I mean look even at our 4th line, it has guys like Tyler Ennis on it who has scored 20 goals or more multiple times in the league and not too long ago either. Connor Brown is another one who two seasons ago had 20 goals and had 14 last season and he is on the 4th line. When you have 2 guys on your 4th line who have scored 20 goals in the recent past, you know you have a skilled team. i am not saying that this Maple Leafs roster is not capable of winning a Stanley Cup as is right now with out having to make a trade to bolster the lineup but, look at what some teams have done at the trade deadlines in the past and added a piece or two to help with the current core of players and put them over the hump to win the Stanley Cup. This team is right there. They could possibly use just that one or two more pieces to put them over the edge and be able to take teams down like Boston and Tampa Bay in the playoffs en route to sipping from Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Regardless of what Kyle Dubas does or does not do leading up to the 3 pm deadline on February 25, I am really excited to see what this group of Maple Leafs can do now and in the future. I believe in the SHANAPLAN and I believe in Kyle Dubas and Mike Babcock. GO LEAFS GO!!