MAPLE LEAFS DEADLINE PREVIEW

Jared Rotenberg

As we now enter the month of March, there is one date circled on the calendar of hockey fans everywhere. March, 21, 2022. The Trade Deadline. The final day in which teams can make changes to their roster before the season’s conclusion, and heading towards the playoffs, there are many contending teams who will undoubtedly be active in hopes of acquiring pieces that will lead them to winning the greatest prize of all; the Stanley Cup.

Among the teams that will be highly active at this year's deadline, is the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team who has heavy pressure to finally find playoff success. For this reason, it is certain that they will be a heavy buyer at this year's deadline, most likely targeting a defenseman, as well as a left-winger, given that these are their biggest areas of need (aside from goaltending). The Leafs do have a very strong regular season record, currently sitting at 5th overall in the NHL with a 35-14-4 record, for a total of 74 points in 53 games so far this season. However, with that said, the Leafs are still only 3rd place in the stacked Atlantic division, and considering they may have to face one of the Tampa Bay Lightning or Florida Panthers, improvements may absolutely be needed. Despite their strong record however, the Buds defensive struggles and recent playoff history makes it clear that the team needs improvements before the playoffs begin in order to truly have a chance at going far.

Before we start, I must mention that I personally do not believe General Manager Kyle Dubas will target a goaltender at this year's deadline, as Kyle Dubas built this team envisioning Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek as the group’s starting goaltenders through the postseason, and for this reason I don’t see him turning back on that belief. However, if their struggles do continue, it is possible that Dubas takes a run for a goaltender at this year's trade deadline, despite the fact that I currently predict both Campbell and Mrazek will remain our starting goaltenders.

With that out of the way, here are three players (as well as some honourable mentions) that I believe the Toronto Maple Leafs will target at the upcoming trade deadline:

Scott Mayfield

Scott Mayfield is a 29 year old right-handed defenseman, currently playing on the New York Islanders. Standing at 6’5” and 220 pounds, he is a very big defenseman who plays a physical style, which would very much be desired from the Toronto Maple Leafs. He currently carries a cap hit of $1.45 million dollars, and still has another year remaining on his contract following the conclusion of this year. The financial asset of Mayfield’s contract would be very beneficial to the Leafs, or any team who ultimately ends up acquiring him. Mayfield is a second-pairing defenseman who can block shots, play heavy minutes, and even play as a shutdown defenseman on the penalty kill. While he doesn’t have much offensive upside, currently putting up two goals and 15 assists in 50 games this year, his play on the defensive end of the ice would still prove to be very valuable to the Toronto Maple Leafs, or any other team who ultimately acquires his services. Considering this value, he would cost a pretty penny in order to pick up, including a pick, prospect, and potentially even a rostered player in order to outbid other teams who will surely be interested. Regardless of the cost however, this is a player the Leafs should at the very least consider going after.

Vince Dunn

Vince Dunn is a 25 year old left-shooting defenseman, currently playing on the Seattle Kraken. He is not the biggest defenseman in the world, standing at 6’0” and 203 pounds. He is a skilled player who is currently having decent production on a struggling team, with six goals and 13 assists, for a total of 20 points in 50 games. Aside from his offensive production, which is, of course, not what the Leafs need, it must be noted that he is also very strong defensively, and at his young age, he will only continue to get better with time. The fact that he is left handed is absolutely something to consider because this is an area that the Leafs have an abundance of, however, with his skill and defensive ability, he could absolutely still slot into the Leafs lineup. He has a cap hit of exactly $4 million dollars, and is signed until the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, meaning this would not be a rental, and for this reason I very much like the fit of Vince Dunn on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Considering his cap hit, and the Leafs abundance of left-handed defenseman, I could see a player such as Travis Dermott going the other way in a trade, among other pieces (such as picks, or a low-level prospect).

Luke Schenn

Luke Schenn, as you may remember, was on the Toronto Maple Leafs once upon a time. He is a right-shooting defenseman, currently playing on the Vancouver Canucks. He stands at 6’2”, 227 pounds, is 32 years old, and carries a cap hit of $850,000, which lasts until the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. He has a fair share of miles on him, but still manages to mend the Canucks second defensive pairing alongside highly skilled defenseman Quinn Hughes, proving that Schenn is still a more than capable NHLer. He doesn’t have much offensive production, with only three goals and eight assists, for a total of 11 points in 39 games this season. Despite this lack of production however, he is a physical defenseman who can eat up minutes, and effectively step into a penalty killing role if necessary. He can hit, fight, and would immediately make the Toronto Maple Leafs a more difficult team to play against- especially come playoff time. Considering his cheap cost and physical play style, this is absolutely a player that the Leafs should be very high on as we approach the trade deadline, and I would very much like to see Luke Schenn don the blue and white once again. He is also not a player that would require a large return in order to acquire, and for this reason, a mid-round pick or a low-value roster player would likely get this trade done, all the more reason that this would be a smart player for the Leafs to trade for.

Honourable Mentions

• J.T. Miller - Left wing, Vancouver Canucks, 28 years old, $5.25 million-dollar cap hit, expires following the 2022-23 season)

• Calvin De Haan - Left defenseman, Chicago Blackhawks, 30 years old, $4.55 million-dollar cap hit, expires after the conclusion of the 2021-22 season)

• Note: Calvin De Haan has missed his last two games with an undisclosed injury. While he is estimated to return sometime in early March, this is absolutely something to note when considering a Calvin De Haan trade.

• Mark Giordano - Left defenseman, Seattle Kraken, 38 years old, $6.75 million-dollar cap hit, modified-no trade clause, expires following the conclusion of the 2021-22 season)