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Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has to be pondering and investigating what avenues he will pursue this summer in a number of different areas to find a pathway to improving his club’s chances of playoff success. In spite of a record-breaking regular season, the Leafs had another early postseason exit. Toronto will likely explore the trade market and/or free agency to find upgrades, but that will depend on what they do with the players currently on their roster.
We look today at what the Leafs might do up the middle.
At this point, the Toronto Maple Leafs are pretty much locked in with their top three center spots, unless their big moves over the summer bring in someone who could move team captain John Tavares to the wing. Auston Matthews is one of the top centers in the league and just entering his prime, concerns over Tavares speed declining may not be addressed until 2024 problem, and David Kampf has another year left on his two-year deal at an economical $1.5 million.
The chatter of Tavares being shifted away from the middle and players like Mitch Marner (who played C in junior) or William Nylander (who played some in the SHL, AHL, and brief time in the NHL) being put in his place is unrealistic.
If the Leafs cannot get Colin Blackwell re-signed, they could go bargain-basement shopping as they did last year with Kampf (who was not qualified by Chicago), but they may be looking to give some young players like Alex Steeves or Bobby McMann an NHL shot.
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Some fans have increasingly been bemoaning the Leafs trading Nazem Kadri in 2019 to Colorado, based on the fantastic regular season and his impressive performance for the Avs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That regret is based on performances like Thursday when Kadri had three assists in a 4-0 win over Edmonton and now 14 points in 12 games.
Toronto got back a useful and versatile forward in Alex Kerfoot, who in spite of criticism has been a valuable player over the last three seasons, but did not win the trade because of Mike Babcock’s mishandling of Tyson Barrie.
Other than the questionable incident where it appeared he pushed former Leaf Calle Rosen into Jordan Binnington, Kadri has pretty much kept himself in check in the postseason, unlike three of the last four playoffs, where his selfishness and lack of self-control led to three lengthy suspensions that factored into his team’s demise.
It was completely necessary for the Leafs to trade Kadri because they simply could not stand by and watch him sabotage the club when it mattered the most for another year. It would have been a festering wound that would have never healed had he stayed. Last year’s eight-game suspension after a head hit on Justin Faulk was proof enough that he continues to be irresponsible.
The reason for the 32-year-old coming to his senses is because he is an unrestricted free agent this summer and has a chance to make big money in free agency. That big payday is only possible if he just keeps his nose clean.
Even if Colorado does not win the Cup, Kadri (along with Evgeni Malkin and Patrice Bergeron) will be the most sought-after free-agent centers on the market, but that does not mean there is any guarantee that the team who signs him will get the more-disciplined version.
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