1. The Blockbuster Trade
Another reason the Toronto Maple Leafs might not trade Kadri is because they might trade William Nylander. I could see the Leafs looking at the Minnesota Wild’s roster right now and licking their chops. It’s clear they are open to moving just about anyone and general manager Paul Fenton is trying to make his mark on his team.
There are two players on the Wild who the Maple Leafs should target – Jason Zucker and Jared Spurgeon. Matt Dumba could be on the table as well.
Zucker
Reportedly, Fenton nearly dealt Zucker to the Calgary Flames, but the deal fell through. He would be a huge upgrade at forward, even for a team as gifted as the Leafs. On paper, Zucker had a fairly disappointing year. A season after scoring 33 goals with 64 points, he scored just 22 goals with 42 points.
Zucker’s a very good bet to bounce back next season. He had the second-lowest individual shooting percentage of his career (9.6%). Furthermore, the Wild converted on only 6% of their shots on goal with him on the ice, the lowest mark of his career. Zucker also plays a 200-foot game and would be a great fit for the Leafs.
The best thing about him, though, might be his contract. It’s beautiful. Zucker is signed through 2023 at just $5.5 million per season. His no-trade clause starts in July, so the Wild will likely try to move him by then. As much as I think Nylander will bounce back in 2019-20, I wouldn’t hesitate to trade him or Kadri for Zucker.
Spurgeon
Spurgeon would be the better pure fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s not a secret they’re looking for a quality right-handed defenseman. Though Spurgeon will be a free agent after the 2019-20 season, the Leafs should look at him not just as a short-term option, but a long-term one as well.
He’s precisely what they need. Spurgeon is right-handed, mobile, can play during all situations, and is a legitimate top pairing defenseman. Whether he plays next to Morgan Rielly on the top pairing or if he drives the second pairing, he’d play a large role in fixing the Maple Leafs defensive issues.