Three trades that will fix the Toronto Maple Leafs and make them Stanley Cup contenders
The Toronto Maple Leafs are close to being a top-contending team. However, they're currently struggling. The general manager, Brad Treliving, will need to make adjustments before the trade deadline. Here's what he should do, according to a new report.
The Leafs have issues in many areas, but the main problems are between the pipes, at the blue line, and in the bottom-six. These scenarios consider the fact that the team wants to win now and doesn't mind sacrificing their future.
For the goaltending issues, it's plain and simple: they should go after a star goalie. St. Louis Blues' Jordan Binnington would be a great candidate.
Treliving can't rely solely on Joseph Woll, Martin Jones, and Ilya Samsonov for the playoffs. Binnington, who already proved that he can lead a team far into the playoffs by winning a Stanley Cup, could be the missing piece in Toronto.
As for the blue line, they should also go after a top player: John Carlson from the Washington Capitals. The veteran defenseman would be a solid acquisition that could bring a lot to the Leafs.
With his $8 million a year salary for the next two seasons, the Capitals could decide to let him go if they believe they don't have a chance of reaching the playoffs and want to rebuild during the summer.
Finally, for the bottom-six, they should go after Elias Lindholm from the Flames.
The center has been linked many times to the Leafs over the past few months. His ties with Leafs GM Treliving could facilitate a deal, and he'd greatly help the team's depth.
Sacrificing the future of the Team to Win Now?
Except for William Nylander, Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, Fraser Minten, and Easton Cowen, nobody should be safe in Toronto.
If they decide to go after big stars like Binnington, Carlson, or Lindholm, they'll definitely need to sacrifice picks, prospects, and players. In order to land them, we can't imagine the Leafs keeping players like Max Domi, Ryan Reaves, Tyler Bertuzzi, David Kampf, or Calle Jarnkrok in Toronto.
Do you think the Leafs should sacrifice the team's future to make blockbuster trades and win now?
As seen on Editor in Leaf - How to Fix the Toronto Maple Leafs in 3 Easy Trades
| POLL | ||
Do you think the Leafs should sacrifice the team's future to make blockbuster trades and win now? | ||
| Yes | 622 | 54.1 % |
| No | 527 | 45.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
