Brad Treliving Could Be Making a Costly Mistake Trading for Former 50-Goal Scorer
If the Toronto Maple Leafs wanted to make a big splash on the trade market, they might want to do their best to avoid one premium target given his struggles.
A lot of talk and speculation has surrounded the Toronto Maple Leafs and whether Brad Treliving is going to make a big splash for his team. There's also been a lot of talk regarding the New York Rangers' future path as the team navigates a struggling season.
So it's no surprise the two teams have been linked to a deal, and with Chris Kreider potentially being in play, he seems to be the perfect fit. However, a deeper look into his season shows that Toronto would be making a potential season-changing error.
Chris Kreider's Struggles Too Risky For Toronto
A tempting a deal as it might be, there is a real concern if Toronto picks up Kreider not only from a financial standpoint but from an on-ice perspective as well.
Having terrible 5v5 stats is just the tip of the iceberg. Kreider has been hitting less, not playing well defensively, and is only a handful of penalties away from eclipsing his entire season's mark last year.
Whatever is going on is not working right now, and it's unknown what has caused this sudden downfall. Averaging 42 goals over the last three seasons, he's on pace to have his worst season since 2020.
He's also an incredibly pricey option, and although he comes with term and could transition to center; the risk is way too high. Two more years at $6.5M for a player on the downswing is not conducive to success, and his potential does not outweigh his cost.
It would be great if Toronto would be able to acquire Kreider given his previous stats and the potential to turn things around. But gambling on such a thing is too risky for a team that needs to make the right decisions, not the rash ones.
Brad Treliving should pass on Kreider and perhaps look elsewhere in the State of New York for his answer.
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