Team: 2018-19 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: Apr. 30, 2018

Published: Apr. 30, 2018

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Dave Nonis being an executive with Anaheim, I think there's a reasonable assumption to make that he would be heavily in favour of aquiring a couple of players he was responsible for drafting in Connor Brown and Morgan Rielly.

The Leafs make this move because they are able to exploit the money Anaheim would save as well. It might seem like a little but Anaheim has an internal budget so it matters and it's not like they're getting bad players in return. To sweeten the pot the Leafs swap Matt Martin (an able-bodied grinder who the coach could play) over Patrick Eaves, who makes a lot and might never play again.

Hampus Lindholm is an elite defensive defenseman which is what the Leafs desperately need. He can skate, move the puck up ice, and defend exceptionally well.

I know a lot of people are demanding that the Leafs trade Gardiner right now but I'm only interested in doing so if they get a RHD whose just as good, which is how I feel about Tyson Barrie, who also has an extra year on his deal. That matters because it'll give Timothy Liljegren even more time to develop with the Marlies. Adding a few prospects like Bracco (Colorado needs help on the right wing) and a good PP specialist in Nielsen along with an NHL calibre backup in Garret Sparks.

It's a trade that works for both teams, and one Colorado can manage to make, since they have Cale Makar and Conor Timmins (both RHD) coming soon on top of already have Erik Johnson.

Signing Tavares goes without saying. It's a no brainer, especially if you can fix your defense through a trade as opposed to spending a ton via free agency.

Rick Nash on a one year deal.... the Leafs would have the cap space to significantly overpay him. A really solid player who won't put up a ton of points but is still a force defensively.

Igor Ozhiganov is all but guaranteed to join the Leafs. He's a defensive defenseman who should be able to do well on the bottom pairing.

I think Dermott should be given a shot to play with Zaitsev on the second pairing. Give him a long rope and allow him to make mistakes. He'll get better and stronger and learn a ton. The team is good enough to live with this learning-on-the-fly approach.


I feel like Kyle Dubas will be named the new GM in a week or so (probably when the second round is over) and I expect him to be very aggressive this year and during the draft. He'll have a very specific agenda and work hard to accomplish it.

We should expect BIG CHANGES this summer. I think the Big Three (Matthews, Marner, Nylander) are untouchable.

Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner? not so much.

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