Maple Leafs running out of trade options to save blue line

They’re still trying to get ready for the summer and can’t make it work!

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
Maple Leafs running out of trade options to save blue line
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Everyone was surprised last summer when Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas’ ability to juggle his limited cap room to re-sign Mitch Marner to a lucrative long-term contract.

However, we are starting to doubt he can do it again this time around. We are sure the Leafs’ GM is using the NHL pause to find a solution to his financial puzzle in hopes to finding a way to keep key free agents and find help on the back end. 

The Leafs have around $77 million invested in 17 players, with restricted free agents Ilya Mikheyev, Travis Dermott, Frederik Gauthier and Denis Malgin to re-sign. Veteran forwards Jason Spezza and recently-acquired Kyle Clifford are unrestricted free agents.

While Dubas could gain some flexibility by acquiring another club’s permanent LTIR player, it feels like he won’t have a choice to move Kasperi Kapanen and/or Andreas Johnsson and/or Alexander Kerfoot, especially to add a right-side defenseman. 

However, Lyle Richardson of Spectors Hockey isn’t sure the Maple Leafs still have a lot of options to get the help they desperately needs on the blue line. He believes they are running out of options seeing either of those guys being sufficient to land Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba or Anaheim Ducks’ Josh Manson. On top of that, the Buffalo Sabres could be reluctant to send Rasmus Ristolainen or Colin Miller to a division rival.

Dubas will have to get creative… AGAIN!