The NHL trade deadline is eight days away and it’s time to evaluate who the best fits are for the Toronto Maple Leafs. General manager Brad Treliving has had his nose up in every rumour regarding players on the trade market. There are probably around 15-20 players that have come and gone in terms of being linked to the Maple Leafs. Their biggest need heading into the deadline is a middle-six centre. In addition, the team would like to add some depth on the back end, preferably a right-hand shot.
The acquisition of some players makes more sense than others. Here are players the Leafs should chase and who they should avoid in the lead-up to the trade deadline.
Chase or Avoid: Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Targets
Chase:
The Schenn Brothers
The Schenn brothers could be perfect fits for the Maple Leafs ahead of the deadline. Both players have championship pedigree and play a tough and hard-nosed type of game. All signs point to Leafs head coach Craig Berube loving what they bring to the table.
Brayden Schenn, captain of the St. Louis Blues, is that high-quality middle-six centre that Treliving and the Maple Leafs need. He’s a well-rounded forward who can score, throw hits, and can handle a shutdown role against star players. It’s been reported multiple times that Toronto is heavy on the 33-year-old. Schenn would likely fit on the third line but could alternate with John Tavares on the second line. Having that flexibility in the lineup during the playoffs is a huge advantage, especially in terms of line matching. In addition, the player has experience playing for Berube as they won the Stanley Cup together in 2019. Schenn has 12 goals and 34 points in 59 games for St. Louis this season. The centre earns $6.5 million for the next three seasons after this campaign.
As for Luke Schenn, he knows what it’s like to play for the Maple Leafs, and in important games. Schenn was part of the Tampa Bay Lightning team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. Furthermore, he was with the Leafs two seasons ago, playing a crucial role in the top-four pairings. The right-handed defenceman found great chemistry with Morgan Rielly and it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to pair them again. With him in the lineup, Toronto was able to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Schenn is in the second year of a three-year contract worth $2.75 million per season.
Colton Parayko
Colton Parayko is another target for the Leafs, although a less likely player to acquire. Fans across the hockey community have mixed opinions on St. Louis‘ Parayko. However, there’s no denying that he was solid for Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Not to mention, he is also a Stanley Cup champion under Berube, just like Brayden Schenn. Parayko brings a physical presence to the Leafs lineup, as well as a heavy shot from the point. Furthermore, NHL Edge recorded Parayko shooting the third hardest shot of the season among defencemen at 102.3 mph.
It’s worth adding that the St. Albert, Alta. is having a great campaign in terms of offensive production. The blueliner already hit a career-high 13 goals in 58 games and a total of 32 points. He has more points than Toronto’s No. 1 D-man Rielly and left winger Bobby McMann. Speaking of Rielly, the two defencemen were partners in the 2016 World Cup playing for Team North America, featuring the continent’s best U-23 players.
What makes acquiring the 31-year-old unrealistic is his contract. While his AAV isn’t terrible at $6.5 million, it’s the length of the contract that remains that could scare away the Leafs. After this season, Parayko has five more years under contract, expiring when he’s 37 years old.
Avoid:
Scott Laughton
Scott Laughton has been one of the more popular trade targets on Treliving’s radar throughout the season. Philadelphia Flyers management has set a high price on their centre. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the team is looking for a first-round pick or a prospect of that calibre. However, there is a compelling argument that Laughton is not worth that price. Other centres in the market would cost less assets and still provide similar efforts and abilities.
For example, Jake Evans of the Montreal Canadiens has the same number of goals and assists as Laughton. Yet, there have been multiple reports, including from Pierre LeBrun on TSN’s Insider Trading, that Habs general manager Kent Hughes wants a second-round pick for Evans. Not only is he a cheaper acquisition, the 28-year-old is two years younger than Laughton. Evans also has a lower cap hit, he’s a pending free agent earning $1.7 million against the cap. As for Laughton, he costs $3 million and has one more year on his contract after this season.
According to the Daily Faceoff, Laughton is Philadelphia’s second-line centre and on the top power-play unit. However, his offensive production has been below par this season, even if his specialty is a shutdown role. In 56 games this season, he’s scored 11 goals and 27 points. Those numbers are good enough to sit seventh among the Maple Leafs’ leading scorers. Laughton is closer to a fourth-line centre than a second-liner for the Maple Leafs. Toronto’s assets could be better spent on other targets.
Jamie Oleksiak
Jamie Oleksiak of the Seattle Kraken is an interesting target for Toronto. While he has great size and is a physical player, his cap hit is higher than the value he carries as a player. He’s also not a defenceman that the Leafs desperately need at the moment. Toronto has plenty of left-shot D-men who play physically. Jake McCabe, Simon Benoit and at times Oliver Ekman-Larsson are examples of that.
In addition, the analytics don’t favour him either. According to MoneyPuck, the pairing of Oleksiak and Brandon Montour has scored the least goals in the league between pairings who have played at least 600 minutes together this season. That stat is slightly concerning when it’s considered that Montour was one of the best offensive defencemen last season with the Florida Panthers. Also, Toronto is one of the worst teams in the NHL in getting scoring from their defence, and acquiring Oleksiak at the deadline wouldn’t help that case.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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