Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Jake Muzzin from Los Angeles Kings

The Toronto Maple Leafs have found their defensemen. They’ve acquired Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings for a package featuring Carl Gundstrom and a 2019 first-round pick. 

Everyone knew the Toronto Maple Leafs were going to grab a defenseman by the 2019 trade deadline. The worst kept secret in the NHL was their need for an upgrade. Heck, it wasn’t even a secret. The Maple Leafs addressed this concern early, as they’ve officially traded for Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin.

In exchange, the Leafs are giving up a 2019 first-round pick, prospect Carl Gundstrom, and the rights to prospect Sean Durzi. Muzzin has 21 points in 50 games this season and has an additional year left on his contract. The Kings are not retaining any salary.

Leafs Perspective

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There’s a lot to like from the Leafs side of the ice. First of all, Muzzin is a great defenseman. His possession numbers are constantly among the best in the NHL. The Leafs really needed a top pairing defenseman and they’ve found one in Muzzin. While he’s left-handed, he has experience playing on the right side, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

Another great thing for them is Muzzin is more than just a rental. He should stick around through at least next season, thanks to his bargain cap hit of $4 million annually. Muzzin’s pro-rated cap hit is just under $1.5 million for the rest of the 2018-19 season, which means the Leafs could make another big move or two if they need to.

Most importantly, this trade should stabilize the Leafs defense. It forces everyone into a far more reasonable and appropriate role. For example, Ron Hainsey will likely get third pairing minutes. He still has some value, especially as a penalty killer. But Hainsey clearly couldn’t handle top pairing minutes anymore.

It’s also worth noting Muzzin is the type of guy head coach Mike Babcock values. He’s the type of player both the analytically minded and those who prefer the eye test can appreciate. The Leafs got the defenseman they desperately needed and didn’t give up Kasperi Kapanen, Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sundin, or Andreas Johnsson. That’s a pretty huge win for Toronto.

Kings Perspective

The Kings weren’t going to give Muzzin away. This return suggests the Leafs matched the high price Los Angeles was rightfully demanding for him. Grundstrom is immediately one of the best prospects in their system. Same with Durzi, assuming the Kings are able to sign him.

Grundstrom was drafted by the Leafs in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft. In his first full professional season in North America, he’s been one of the Toronto Marlies’ most consistent forwards with 26 points in 43 games. Grundstrom could be ready to contribute in the NHL as soon as the 2019-20 season.

Durzi is a fellow second-round pick of the Leafs. He was drafted in 2018. In 26 games split between the Owen Sound Attack and Guelph Storm of the OHL, Durzi has 28 points in 26 games. He’s a mobile right-handed defenseman who has been trusted with heavy minutes and still put up great results.

This is a painful trade for the Kings because Muzzin has been so darn good for them. But it’s the correct one, given the state of the franchise. The Kings are painfully barren of young players. They’ve added two intriguing prospects to their system and one of them should be contributing to start next season.

The extra first-round pick is nice, though the Leafs will most likely be picking later in the round. That said, the 2019 NHL Draft is a pretty deep one, so there should still be talent available. It would have been nice to get one of the Leafs big prospects, but Grundstrom and Durzi are both huge gets.