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UPDATE - The Leafs have made their move to acquire a top-four blueliner, acquiring Stanley Cup winner Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings for winger Carl Grundstrom, the rights to defenseman Sean Durzi and their 2019 first round pick.
In planning for the upcoming trade deadline, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is not only looking at upgrades that will help his club achieve success in the next four-to-five months, but also trying to plan ahead for the next several years by managing the roster and taking the salary cap into consideration.
The focus on the future is central in a couple of themes that Dubas has mentioned in recent weeks; his preference to acquire players before February 25 that have term remaining on their contracts and the hope of getting restricted free agents like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner signed before next summer.
The reason for both is pretty straightforward. If the Leafs have to give up prime assets to improve their club, they want that upgrade to be for multiple years and not just a temporary solution. Once the Leafs get Matthews and Marner locked up on extensions, Dubas can determine how much maneuvering room he will have going forward and make corresponding adjustments.
Trevor Moore making the Puck Control Relay look easy 😎 #AHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/ooidwNjJY4
— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) January 28, 2019
Toronto’s starting goaltending is stable and set for the next two seasons, with Frederik Andersen in year three of a five-year, $25 Million contract, but as the recent three-week absence due with a groin injury revealed, the Leafs were left vulnerable due to losing Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard on waivers and had to deal with Florida for Michael Hutchinson after backup Garret Sparks suffered a concussion in practice.
There continues to be doubt in Sparks after an inconsistent first half. The 25-year-old’s bridge deal expires this summer and Toronto can likely re-sign him for under $1 Million for another two years before becoming an unrestricted free agent, but if internally they believe that they need someone who can handle a larger role and more games to spell Andersen, then the Leafs could sign a veteran backup for a similar price.
The future pipeline in goal looks promising. 20-year-old Ian Scott is having a standout season with Prince Albert of the WHL (28-5-2, 1.80 GAA, .936 save percentage) and after making Team Canada in December was signed to an ELC.
2016 draftee Joseph Woll is having an excellent junior season at Boston College (7-11-3, 2.28 GAA, .922 save percentage) and among a number of nominees for the Hobey Baker Award, but has another year of NCAA eligibility before the Leafs have to sign him or lose his rights.
Scott and Woll are unlikely to be ready for the NHL by the time that Andersen’s contract expires, but the organization will have more of an idea if either are potentially a future #1, which likely means that interest in an extension for him will gain momentum after the completion of next season.
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— Norman James (@NormanJamesTLC) January 28, 2019
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