Toronto Maple Leafs Can Help Detroit Red Wings During Offseason

Toronto Maple Leafs Can Help Detroit Red Wings in a Big Way This Offseason Targeting Jimmy Howard and Pavel Datsyuk Contract

Yesterday, the Toronto Maple Leafs locked down a couple young pieces in Morgan Rielly and Nazem Kadri to long-term six-year contracts. Kadri is set to earn $4.5 million dollars/year, while Rielly carries a $5 million dollar cap hit.

Question marks still remain heading into the summer, particularly surrounding the goaltending. A few other questions will be answered along the way – first on April 30th with the NHL Draft Lottery. Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping their league high odds can snag a top three pick, while the last answer comes on July 1st in regards to the status of pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos.

Adding Auston Matthews or Steven Stamkos could certainly help accelerate the rebuild, but either way this team is still a few years away (minimum) from competing year-after-year.

Offseason Possibility?

News broke heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs that Detroit Red Wings longtime leader Pavel Datsyuk is planning to return to Russia following the playoffs. He still has one year left on his contract, which carries a $7.5 million dollar cap hit. Early speculation suggests teams looking to reach the cap floor may have interest.

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Detroit also has another conundrum on their hands. Petr Mrazek is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and should receive a hefty pay raise – even given his stumbles down the stretch. They also have 31-year-old Jimmy Howard on the books until 2017-18 at an annual cap hit of $5.29 million dollars.

The Red Wings have two options; keep Howard, pay Mrazek and roll forward with one of the more expensive goaltending duos. Or, trade Howard and give Mrazek security as starter. Detroit would be wise to explore the latter.

Enter the Toronto Maple Leafs. Here’s a team with a little over $64 million already committed to the 2016-17 salary cap. Some of those dollars could be shed if they find new homes for Tyler Bozak or Jonathan Bernier. They may even find some cap relief in a Joffrey Lupul buy-out. Point being, that number should come down a bit one way or another.

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If you’re Toronto, why not target Jimmy Howard and Pavel Datsyuk’s contract? The Detroit goaltender had a lot of success under Mike Babcock, and is very familiar with his former bench boss. Howard wouldn’t come in as the savior or answer to the problem, but more of a temporary solution to add security to a position that has long been an issue.

He could either share the crease with Jonathan Bernier, or the Toronto Maple Leafs have the option of moving him. If the rebuild runs smoothly, the Leafs should start peaking around the same time Howard’s contract expires.

This gives Toronto management a better window to find the long-term solution between the pipes, whether it be via trade or developed through the system.

One might wonder what the return value would be in this situation. Detroit isn’t likely to give away premium draft picks. The only roster players of interest are Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar – but Detroit wouldn’t likely trade either. Prospects are a possibility, although one might understand if the Red Wings are reluctant to trade Evgeny Svechnikov.

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What if Toronto sees this as a veritable Ottawa/Dion Phaneuf situation? Perhaps they send Joffrey Lupul, Tyler Bozak, or Jonathan Bernier (or some combination) as part of a much larger deal.

It seems like a scenario that GM Lou Lamoriello should at least explore in the offseason. He can always pick up the phone and see whether or not Ken Holland has any interest in freeing up almost $13 million dollars in cap space.