BREAKING NEW: Maple Leafs have been link to 3 Middle-Six Forwards
Sportsnet’s Luke Fox has detailed that the Toronto Maple Leafs might be keen on a couple greater named advances in front of the 2024 NHL Exchange Cutoff time on Walk 8, 2024. Fox covers the Maple Leafs everyday and has said in a new article that the club could be taking a gander at the Montreal Canadiens’ Sean Monahan, the Seattle Kraken’s Alexander Wennberg, and the Anaheim Ducks’ Adam Henrique. Based on how things have been going so far this season, all three have contracts that are about to run out with teams.
It was likewise given an account of the latest episode of 32 Contemplations with Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek that the Maple Leafs are glancing around at different areas of need. Friedman had this to say: ” I think they know precisely exact thing it would take to get [Chris] Tanev in the event that they needed to. However, they are likewise staying there, expressing out loud, ‘Whatever else do we really want? What different resources do we have out there?’ They are not interested in trading Cowan or Minten, two young forwards from Team Canada. Therefore, what other assets are they considering here if they wish to carry out their plans? He later proceeds to say, “Toronto may be taking a gander at numerous sorts of things to somewhat repair themselves or reinforce themselves.”
This supports Fox’s report in his blog about the Maple Leafs possibly being keen on advances, and afterward he gave a couple of names that he felt the club would have on their watch list. So, let’s take a look at Monahan, Wennberg, and Henrique and talk about why they might be a good fit for Toronto.
Sean Monahan
Monahan and the Maple Leafs’ senior supervisor (GM) Brad Treliving are know all about one another from their experience with the Calgary Flares, so it wouldn’t be amazing assuming Treliving needed to reacquire him. Be that as it may, there are two issues. To start with, the expense of the player. Furthermore, he plays for the opponent Canadiens. Which makes this arrangement very far-fetched yet conceivable. Monahan has had two hip medical procedures in his profession yet has hoped to return sound and prepared to play, which will make him a significant rental at the cutoff time. He has played 30 games this season and scored nine goals and ten assists for 19 points.
It is important to note that he has a cap hit of $1.98 million, which the Maple Leafs might be able to cover. However, it is more likely that they will try to get another team to keep up to 50% of the cap hit to bring it down to $990,000. Due to their rivalry, the Canadiens’ asking price is probably going to be higher. Notwithstanding, they will look for some draft capital, or perhaps a player who is NHL-prepared, to help them. The Maple Leafs don’t bring a ton to the table, however in the event that he is on their watch list for exchange targets, the two sides will make an exchange work. A player of Bobby McMann’s caliber and a few draft picks, in my opinion, would be sufficient to remove Monahan from the Canadiens organization. He would squeeze into the main nine, and since he can play every one of the three forward positions, he would give the group flexibility beyond Calle Jarnkrok.
The Toronto Maple Leafs receive in a mock trade: Monahan (50% held)
Montreal Canadiens get: McMann, 2024 third round pick (NYI) and 2025 fifth round pick (CHI)
Alexander Wennberg
Wennberg has been a name that I have loved as a possibility for the Maple Leafs for a really long time. Tragically, it hasn’t worked out yet and probably will not. In spite of the fact that he is presumably the least demanding to exchange for in light of exchange esteem, he simply doesn’t appear to be a Treliving-style player. He has four goals, eight assists, and 12 points for the Kraken thus far this season, but it appears that he is losing favor with them. Wennberg midpoints somewhere in the range of 35 and 50 focuses per season, however his sluggish beginning has blocked his exchange esteem. He likewise has a changed no-exchange proviso that incorporates a 10-group no-exchange list, which could incorporate Toronto. In the event that it doesn’t, he could find a home on the third line with Jarnkrok and Scratch Robertson as another scoring line. Yet, this would likewise imply that Maximum Domi would rearrange down to the fourth line, which doesn’t appear to be probable.
It very well may be really difficult for the Maple Leafs to fit Wennberg onto their program as he just plays as a middle. Moreover, his agreement has a cap hit of $4.5 million, which is very high. In the event that an exchange is made, the Kraken would have to hold a portion of Wennberg’s compensation, and an outsider merchant, for example, the San Jose Sharks might should be involved since the Kraken are likewise near the compensation cap limit. The Maple Leafs might have the option to inspire them to hold up to 25 percent of the underlying cap hit, however with previous Leaf Ron Francis in charge, it appears to be dubious. On the off chance that Toronto sorts out an exchange for Wennberg, an arrangement based on Pontus Holmberg would appear to be fitting. Basically, supplant a low-end NHL focus with one that can play in the main nine. The only real difference between Holmberg and Wennberg is that Holmberg is better at defense, but Holmberg is a proven scorer who could help in the playoffs and down the stretch.
Mock Exchange
Toronto Maple Leafs get: Wennberg (25% held)
San Jose Sharks get: Seattle Kraken receive 50 percent of Wennberg’s cap hit and a 2025 5th-round pick (CHI): Pontus Holmberg, 2024 third round pick (NYI) and 2024 seventh round pick (OTT)
Adam Henrique
Henrique is the player with the best chances of arriving in Toronto among the three players recorded in Fox’s blog. He has the characteristics that the Maple Leafs are searching for as they get ready for the end of the season games. He is serious areas of strength for a sizable player who can be used in any circumstance because of his two-way abilities. Furthermore, he has earlier season finisher experience with the New Jersey Villains, where he arrived at the Stanley Cup Last yet lost to the Los Angeles Lords. This season, he has contributed nine objectives and seven helps for 16 places in 29 games with the Ducks. The 33-year-old likewise has a 51% go head to head rate, which would be helpful for the Maple Leafs in the postseason. Henrique is flexible and can play on the left side or down the center, making him a significant resource for any group, particularly during the end of the season games.
However much Henrique is a close ideal fit for the Maple Leafs forward bunch, his cap hit is the most elevated on the rundown, at $5.85 million. To make this arrangement work, the Maple Leafs would have to pay the Ducks to hold 50% of that $5.85 million and afterward utilize an outsider specialist to hold 50% too. That would bring his cap hit down to $1.46 million, which makes his agreement more straightforward to exchange for the two clubs. With that, however, the asking cost will be higher. Once more, McMann is a name that could create some interest and won’t be a gigantic misfortune on the off chance that the Maple Leafs need to move him. Additionally, a possibility like Dmitry Ovchinnikov could hold any importance with the Ducks. He is just 21 years of age and no doubt will not get the opportunity to turn into a regular NHLer with Toronto. Very much like the wide range of various exchanges, picks will be involved, yet because of the greater maintenance, this exchange could see a bigger number of picks traded.
Mock Exchange
Toronto Maple Leafs get: Henrique (50% held)
San Jose Sharks get: 50% of Henrique cap hit and 2025 fifth round pick (CHI)
Anaheim Ducks get: Bobby McMann, Dmitry Ovchinnikov, 2024 third round pick (NYI) and 2024 fifth round pick (VAN)
According to the reports, the Maple Leafs are searching for ways of working in their group. Which checks out, particularly with how they have been playing throughout the past month. They have struggled to keep games reachable or to basically get a point in extra time. This group is by all accounts clicking and tracking down ways of getting focuses and wins. Presently it is on the administration gathering to compensate them and add parts of improve their group. While these three advances would help them, Henrique must be the top objective. He would be the addition this year, just like Ryan O’Reilly was last year. It provides the players with an increase in certainty when the front office gains supportive pieces at the cutoff time to allow them a superior opportunity to battle for the Stanley Cup, which is what the group and the fan base couldn’t want anything more than to have occur.
