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Near the top of the shopping list for Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas will be an upgrade of the club’s blueline, in the wake of their first round exit to the Boston Bruins and the inability of Lou Lamoriello to close the deal on acquiring Travis Hamonic last June and veteran Ryan McDonagh before the trade deadline.
One team that has continued to be a favorite target of prognosticators and a good fit for a potential deal is the Carolina Hurricanes. Their organizational upheaval under new owner Thomas Dundon and GM Don Waddell, the fact that they are in need of goaltending and scoring help and that they have an impressive stockpile on defense makes a trade between the two teams a distinct possibility.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie said on TSN 1050 Radio on Thursday that the Canes are open to discussing possible moves with everyone on their roster with the exception of center Sebastian Aho (which is the type of message that is sent around the league to generate chatter with other NHL clubs) and that veteran defenseman Justin Faulk may be one of them.
Waddell confirmed on
Sirius XM Radio’s “Game Day with Steve Kouleas” earlier this week that he has received inquiries numerous players (including Faulk) and that he expects a some significant changes to be made prior to next season.
The 26-year-old would blueliner would be a fit in a number of categories for Toronto. Faulk is right-handed, which would make him a potential fit on the top pairing with Morgan Rielly, and he is under contract for another two years at a reasonable $4.833 Million AAV.
Where Faulk is not a fit is that he is an offense-minded defenseman and the Leafs already have that in ample supply with Rielly, Jake Gardiner and rookie Travis Dermott, that he is coming off his worst point total (31) and plus/minus (-26) of his seven year career and that the cost for the former All-Star would likely be someone like William Nylander, or a package that would include Connor Brown or Kasperi Kapanen.
If Toronto were open to moving a top young forward to upgrade on defense, it is more likely that they would target someone they can retain for a number of years, rather than a veteran that can leave via free agency in 2020.
If the Leafs were to target a defenseman on the Carolina blueline, 21-year-old Noah Hanifin would be a more likely target. The young blueliner has the size (6’3”, 206 lb) that is not present on Toronto’s defense, is an excellent skater and is just starting to come into his own after entering the NHL as an 18-year-old.
Hanifin is someone that Leafs head coach Mike Babcock advocated selecting fourth overall in 2015 instead of Mitch Marner and the Massachusetts native is close friends with Auston Matthews.
The aspect that is not known regarding the pursuit of help on defense is what the Leafs would be willing to swap. Their first round pick (25th overall) is likely available in the right deal and wingers Andreas Johnsson and Carl Grundstrom in the pipeline give Dubas options at forward.
One area where Carolina is vulnerable that the Leafs might have an answer is in goal. Garret Sparks is having a phenomenal season with the Toronto Marlies and may be ready for an NHL opportunity, but will likely not get it with the Leafs, as he is blocked by Frederik Andersen and Curtis McElhinney.
The 24-year-old is under contract for another season at $675,000 and would have to clear waivers if he does not win the backup job from McElhinney at training camp next fall. With Cam Ward an unrestricted free agent and Scott Darling coming off a dismal debut, Sparks might be someone that Waddell would want as part of a package for a defenseman.
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