What are the Toronto Maple Leafs Going to Do Before This Trade Deadline?
As the second half of the season rolls around, the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in a very familiar place. They sit seventh in a very competitive Atlantic Division and look to be collapsing as the season rolls on. They are currently riding a six-game losing streak and are oceans away from competing with the best teams in the NHL.
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Eyes On Isles
Is it time to blow it up? That is still the billion dollar question as fans and players grow weary of cheering for, and playing for, such a frustrating team. There have been little to no improvements since the Burke era ended and one has to question Nonis’ abilities as general manager.
The front office has continued to preach their unwillingness to blow it up, and would prefer to trade productive pieces for the same in return. Are they in a position to command such assets? For the most part, Toronto has very few attractive pieces and horrible contracts to go with them.
Phil Kessel is an unquestionable talent and leads this team in offensive production every season. Who does he have to play with? James van Reimsdyk is a great hockey player but is simply not enough. Dave Nonis made the most questionable move when he signed David Clarkson to a buyout-proof 36.75-million for seven years. His seven million salary in 2016/17 and 2017/18 will be an even bigger joke when it rolls around. Joffrey Lupul has been as injury prone as ever, and walks away with over five million for the next three seasons. In terms of money, the Maple Leafs have little to no wiggle room, and are spending it in all the wrong places.
The most recent rumors out of Dallas suggest the Maple Leafs are being nudged to join the seller side. The Dallas Stars seem to have an interest in Dion Phaneuf and Cody Franson, but are not proposing what the Maple Leafs want to hear. If the Maple Leafs pull the trigger on a deal involving both defensemen, can they really avoid the rebuild scenario? Phaneuf and Franson are their big-minute defensemen, and they will not get the same in return from a team trying to push for the playoffs.
When you consider Nonis’ options, there are only so many ways this plays out. If the Maple Leafs continue to be fake contenders, Nonis’ future will rely heavily on the production of the current team, and that is a big risk to say the least. If he continues push current assets for current assets, trading partners will be scarce, and the Maple Leafs’ season will go down the drain anyway. There are only so many ways for Nonis to save his job, and Brendan Shanahan will not wait to cut ties.
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Without shaking things up, the only players that come to mind are Nazem Kadri and James Reimer. Kadri is set to become a restricted free agent and is still finding his place on the Maple Leafs roster. While he has shown inconsistent chemistry with some players, a fresh start somewhere else may be the best option for him. He is still quite young, carries significant trade value and will always possess high-end offensive potential. Remier is kind of the same story but will not have the same trade value. He is still a capable goalie but his time may have run out in Toronto. The fans have clearly moved on and his contract dispute during the summer did not help his case. Getting some much needed consistency and experience for either or both players may be what the team needs to turn things around, especially with cap anchors like Clarkson and Lupul.
As the trade deadline approaches, all eyes will be on Nonis and his team of executives as the offers start to come in . If the fans continue to see a lack of movement from the Maple Leafs’ side, the faith in this front office will dwindle even more as the season progresses. Whether it be as buyers or sellers, the Maple Leafs have to decide how they want to end this season. There is no Stanley Cup in this teams future, so waiting it out will only make it worse for all parties involved. With that said, the Maple Leafs’ problem stem much further than this year’s trade deadline, but it will be on Nonis, Shanahan and the rest of the executives to decide where the Maple Leafs goes from here.