Nick Kypreos Links Top-4 Defenseman to the Maple Leafs in Latest Report
NHL Analyst and former Maple Leafs Nick Kypreos has one under the radar name selected that could seriously help the team come trade deadline time.
With a lot of the talk around town being which big splash the Maple Leafs and GM Brad Treliving can acquire ahead of March 7th's trade deadline, the biggest question mark is which direction is he going to go.
Will he make a trade for a big time center, or will he add some depth pieces to give the team a fighting chance?
Given that Toronto's suddenly staunch defense has found themselves with several cracks, one positive is the potential return of Jake McCabe. But with his return still, there are definitely holes the Maple Leafs need to fill, and Morgan Rielly's atrocious season is an even bigger concern.
But former Maple Leafs player and current NHL Analyst Nick Kypreos believes that one defenseman could be a game changer for the team, and it's an unlikely name from a familiar team.
Nick Kypreos Names Scott Mayfield As Perfect Trade Target For Maple Leafs
In his latest article for Sportsnet, Kypreos released his newest edition of his personal 'Trade Board' where a ton of names have speculation over where they could be sent, if traded at all.
But when the topic of Scott Mayfield came up, the analyst decided his best destination would be the blue and white:
Would the Islanders have to eat any money to make the deal work? Possibly, but considering the incoming cap spike, $3.5 million won't be so challenging to manage as Mayfield ages into his mid-30s.
There is the consideration that he has a no-trade clause, so it would require him to sign off on a move, but if Lou Lamoriello wants to move Mayfield, there will be a market. The Maple Leafs would love to get this player."
Big is an understatement, as Mayfield stands 6'5 and weighs 220 pounds and would be the perfect addition to a Toronto defense that needs some more stability.
He's an 11-year veteran, all with New York (drafted 34th overall in 2011) and has been quietly one of the team's best defenseman for the past seven seasons.
This season Mayfield has two goals and five assists, but adds 70 blocked shots and 64 hits as well.
He is the Islanders' go-to penalty killer, he's not afraid to fight for the puck, and he's a demon in the playoffs, averaging 27 blocks and nearly 27.5 hits for his career.
With Toronto already adding Chris Tanev, and Jake McCabe's emergence as a true shutdown defenseman, bringing in a player the caliber of Mayfield would solidify the Top 4, and give Morgan Rielly the shutdown defender he needs to pull his season around.
In year two of the seven year extension he signed with the Islanders in 2023, and ends when Mayfield is 37 years old, he's going to be an investment for Toronto if they decide to acquire him.
$3.5M committed for the next five seasons is a tough ask especially given Toronto needs to re-sign John Tavares, Matthew Knies, hopefully Mitch Marner, and a slew of other upcoming free agents.
They already have a total of over $20M committed to four defenseman until 2030 when Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, and Jake McCabe are free agents, meanwhile Oliver Ekman-Larsson's contract expires in 2028.
It's going to be a longshot for the team to bring Mayfield in, and if they can ask New York to eat some money for a few years it would be the best case scenario.
But Lou Lamoriello won't be cheap in his desires, and it's going to cost Brad Treliving a few picks, potentially Nick Robertson, or a prospect in order to get things done.
