League parity can only postpone the inevitable for so long. With 20 games left, and a league that awards loser points for overtime, the teams that are even two or three wins out of a postseason berth would be better off preparing for their postseason exclusion than trying to push for the final spots.
A few of these teams have already been mentioned. The Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Kraken, and Minnesota Wild have all been moving towards selling, and the Kraken in particular seems like an excellent fit for the Maple Leafs. However, what about the Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils, and New York Islanders? Three extremely intriguing Eastern Conference teams, who would prefer to avoid hoarding picks and instead try to return in a competitive fashion the next season. Let’s examine their circumstances as they might be the Leafs’ perfect trade partners.
If Tyler Toffoli and Brad Treliving aren’t being mentioned in the same sentence, was there really a trade deadline? This seems like the year those two will take a break from each other, as the wing is the position the Leafs are least likely to address. Instead, we can concentrate our efforts on Colin Miller and Brendan Smith, two defensemen who aren’t exactly what they used to be but could provide some inexpensive depth for the Leafs come playoff time.
