For the latest Leafs updates, Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs are beginning to wonder whether the club is the one that started 6-1 and led the NHL in scoring, the team that lost six of their last eight games, including three games on their recent road trip or somewhere in between. The Leafs begin a three-game homestand on Monday against the red-hot Vegas Golden Knights, hoping that they can find some consistency that prevents Mike Babcock from having to shuffle his forward lines and defensive pairings. The three-way deal between Nashville, Ottawa and Colorado involving Kyle Turris and Matt Duchene may be an indication that trade season has opened early in the NHL. Does that mean that the Leafs will look outside the organization if they continue to struggle. It’s time to take some of your questions from Twitter and the comments section to see what is of the utmost concern to Leafs Nation.
Steven_Seagull asks : If the Leafs do make a trade for a top-4 D, when would be the best time? Between American Thanksgiving-Christmas or near the Trade Deadline? A - It all depends on who Toronto is trading in exchange for that elusive top four defenseman. If it is a veteran like James van Riemsdyk or Tyler Bozak, then the sooner the better because both are pending UFA’s and teams interested in acquiring them will want them as early as possible.
If the Leafs are willing to trade a first round pick and a top prospect such as Kasperi Kapanen, then that deal is more likely to occur closer to the trade deadline, since teams making decisions on a blueliner may be more willing to make a move if they have dropped out of the playoff race.
It’s obvious that Zaitsev looks lost at times, when will we see a trade that brings in defensive minded players to stop these lopsided games
— Smitsy 🇨🇦 (@m109smitsy) November 5, 2017
When the heck are the Leafs going to call up Calvin Pickard?
— Mickey Grant (@Mickey_Grant95) November 5, 2017
It seems like everyone knew/knows the leafs need a top 4 Dman. What is holding them back from making an aggressive trade and moving on?
— David Arulpooranam (@darulpooranam) November 5, 2017
A - What is holding them back is that everyone knows that a top four defenseman is what they are looking for and are likely asking for a king's ransom in exchange. Toronto does not want to trade Mitch Marner or William Nylander in exchange for a blueliner that they clearly need. The additions of European free agents such as Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman were made in hopes that the Leafs could be adequate defensively until the trade deadline or the off-season, when it may be easier to add help on defense.
Dear Mike: have the Leafs missed the window in dealing Jvr and Bozak? Thanks.
— Corey (@SkateLaceBite) November 5, 2017
A - If you are asking if they missed the window to get a difference maker on defense in exchange for JVR or Bozak, the answer is yes. That ship sailed over the summer, when the Leafs reportedly could not pull off the van Riemsdyk for Travis Hamonic deal with the Islanders and went to Plan B and signed Ron Hainsey.
Both veteran forwards could fetch a package of prospects and picks in a trade, and while the Leafs are not in desperate need of either, they could then flip young future assets to a team for the blueliner they need.
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