Toronto Maple Leafs

Which forward will it cost the Leafs to upgrade their blueline???
June 7, 2017, 4:40 PM ET [71 Comments]
Mike Augello
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Whether it be a veteran like Sami Vatanen or a youngster like Matt Dumba, the expectation is that the Toronto Maple Leafs will have to surrender a forward in any deal to acquire a defenseman this summer.

The odds are slim that GM Lou Lamorielllo will entertain any deal that includes William Nylander or Mitch Marner, but Toronto has enough depth up front to move another forward on their NHL roster without significantly impacting their offense.

Here are the three most likely candidates and the factors that will be considered by both the Leafs and their trading partner in a potential deal:

James van Riemsdyk – A decision on van Riemsdyk’s future in Toronto has likely already been made, but will not be revealed until after the completion of the Cup Final. The 28-year-old winger is an unrestricted free agent next summer, but can agree to a contract extension on July 1.

The winger currently makes $4.25 Million. If he is willing to take a team friendly deal (3-5 years, $5 Million AAV) similar to what Morgan Rielly, Nazem Kadri and Nikita Zaitsev did in the last year, then the Leafs will get van Riemsdyk signed an extension done next month.

If he indicates that he will play out the final year of his current deal, then it likely means that van Riemsdyk is heading to free agency and looking for a deal comparable to Milan Lucic, Kyle Okposo, Loui Eriksson and David Backes in the $6 Million range.

If that is the case, Lamoriello will use the 29-goal scorer as an asset in a deal for help on the blueline.

Van Riemsdyk has to be protected in the expansion draft, so it is possible that a deal for a blueliner with a team such as Anaheim or Minnesota could happen before June 21, but the chances of a trade will loom into NHL Draft weekend and in the first few weeks of July.

Another factor in any possible JVR trade is that it will leave the Leafs thin offensively at left wing. Unless Toronto believes that Brendan Leipsic, Nikita Soshnikov or Andreas Johnsson can move up and replace some of van Riemsdyk’s goals, Lamoriello will have to go out and look for a stop gap answer such as Ilya Kovalchuk or Thomas Vanek.




Connor Brown - The 22-year-old Toronto native is someone that NHL teams may covet, with 20 goals as a rookie, a high hockey IQ and his dependability as a two-way forward.

Brown is an RFA this summer and will likely have to be signed to a two-to-three year bridge deal, which will probably fall in the $2-$2.5 Million per year range. He is unlike most of the Leafs forwards, as he is entering his fourth pro season and will have to be protected in the expansion draft.

The odds that Brown will be the centerpiece of a trade for blueline help are not great, simply because he is one of head coach Mike Babcock’s favorite players.

Kasperi Kapanen - Kapanen followed up an impressive but injury-shortened season in the American Hockey League by opening some eyes late in the season and in the playoffs for the Leafs.

Teams looking for young players or with expansion protection difficulties may prefer Kapanen in a potential deal, since the 20-year-old (who turns 21 in July) has another two years left on his entry level contract and is exempt from the expansion draft.

The Leafs may be most willing to move Kapanen, not because they do not think he will be a good player, but because the organization is strongest at right wing, with Nylander, Marner, Brown and prospect Jeremy Bracco.

If Toronto is going to get the top-four defenseman that they need to improve next season, one of these three players will undoubtedly be included in the deal.