Three Potential Trade Targets Emerge for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Per NHL Analyst
NHL Analyst Kevin Papetti believes the Maple Leafs should target three specific names in order to get their team the best as it can be before the playoffs.
With the NHL Trade Deadline still a little whiles away GM Brad Treliving still has a few things he wants to add to his team to make sure they are as good as can be.
He wants to add defense, a bit of offense too, and an impact veteran who can help push Toronto through the first round.
There are a lot of different options for Treliving to choose from ranging from the fairly inexpensive to egregiously costly. But analyst Kevin Papetti believes that three specific players would add the most bang for their buck, and they all share a similarity.
Let's take a look at each option and how they help the Maple Leafs:
Ryan O'Reilly
O'Reilly would be making his return to Toronto two years after leading them past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in nearly 20 years. It was a savvy pickup that led Toronto to a lot of success followed by heartbreak as O'Reilly skipped town and signed with Nashville.
He's not having the best season as Nashville sits in the basement of the NHL, and time is ticking on his chance to win. A beast offensively and defensively, O'Reilly would add the perfect piece to Toronto's Top 9, and can slide in wherever Craig Berube needs him.
He's not the cheapest option at $4.5M for the next two seasons but if he can come in and make Toronto the best team in the East, it'll be worth the price.
The 16-year veteran of over 1000 games has been an impact player no matter where he went, and won a Stanley Cup with Craig Berube during his time in St. Louis. He's a two-way monster with 785 points, as well as a 55.6% faceoff win percentage; a key factor in his dominance for so long.
While he didn't leave the Leafs on the greatest of terms, it feels like with old management out that O'Reilly might be willing to forgive Toronto and make one big push for the Stanley Cup while both his and the Leafs' window are still open.
The second player who came over with O'Reilly to Toronto back in 2022, Acciari is less the offensive difference maker and offers more in the way of stout defense, great faceoff acumen, and the ability to throw hits and be disruptive at every chance.
Acciari is part of a struggling team in Pittsburgh right now that is going through an identity crisis and could use a change of scenery.
He is a former 20-goal scorer and can be used to chip in offensively at times, but his true strengths lie in his defense and intangibles. Winning over 50% of his faceoffs, averaging over 200 hits per season and rarely making mistakes with the puck; Acciari is dependable and consistent though not flashy.
He's the type of player that Craig Berube appreciates and seeks out to add to his lineup, and though he's only 5'10, he's over 200 pounds and is tough to move off the puck. Acciari could end up being a solid fourth line option if Toronto chooses to keep Fraser Minten aboard and only costs $2M.
Yet another former Maple Leaf (notice a pattern?) who would help Toronto albeit on the defensive side of things. Schenn is no stranger to being a Maple Leaf, as he was drafted initially by the club before making his way back to the team in...you guessed it: 2022.
Schenn is dealing with the same issues as O'Reilly with the Predators this season and after so much hype, much like his teammate his window to win is closing more and more each season that passes.
A 17-year vet, Schenn would allow Toronto to move on from Jani Hakanpaa if they were concerned he isn't up to snuff and provides the team with a proven Stanley Cup winner and leader. He's not going to score for Toronto but his goal is to throw hits, throw fists, and throw his body in front of pucks.
Schenn has a very impressive 1,542 shots blocked and 3,462 hits in over 1000 games which average out to 124 blocks and 278 hits per-82 games respectively.
Schenn would be a fairly cheap option too, with a cost of $2.75M and while it may seem a bit pricey to pay for a 35-year old defenseman but it's one with experience and who is a proven winner. Much like O'Reilly, that's worth the cost.
The fact that all three players came over during the time when Toronto won their first series in two decades is evidence enough for what these players can do. GM Brad Treliving should look into a reunion with one of these three former Leafs, if his other reunion falls apart.
| POLL | ||
Who should the Maple Leafs trade for? | ||
| Ryan O'Reilly | 104 | 17.7 % |
| Noel Acciari | 56 | 9.5 % |
| Luke Schenn | 115 | 19.6 % |
| None of the above | 312 | 53.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
