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UPDATE - Leafs trade defenseman Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals for Boston's 2023 first round pick and defenseman Erik Gustafsson.
Pierre Engvall was dealt to the NY Islanders for a 2024 third round pick.
The Leafs have acquired Luke Schenn from Vancouver for a 2023 third round pick
#Leafs Trades, Trades, Trades!!!! https://t.co/rdlu5ElGUp
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) March 1, 2023
The Toronto Maple Leafs move to add defenseman Jake McCabe and forward Sam Lafferty four days in advance of the NHL Trade Deadline further indicated that GM Kyle Dubas is going all-in towards making a postseason run, and based on his comments following the trade on Monday, the Leafs still have their radar up for another trade before the 3 pm deadline.
The Leafs expended some future draft capital, in the form of their 2025 first-round pick (which is top 10 protected) and their 2026 second-round pick, along with minor league wingers Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev, but in return, the Leafs get the 29-year-old McCabe for this year and an additional two years (with Chicago retaining 50% of his $4 million AAV) and the 27-year-old Lafferty (signed through 2023-24 at $1.15 million).
“When we were going through different guys, it is with Jake Muzzin out that it creates the hole we have talked about in previous availabilities. I feel like (McCabe) fits that. Once we kind of got through the salary part with Chicago, it just kind of fits and makes sense.… Dubas said in Seattle after the trade on Monday. “(Lafferty) was good in Pittsburgh as well and then got a little bit more opportunity in Chicago. For me, the speed is the number one thing that he brings but also the versatility. He is able to play center and is able to play wing. With the forechecking, the competitiveness, and the tenacity on the forecheck, he is able to create turnovers up the ice and be physical and really competitive.…
Both players have connections to current Leafs Ryan O’Reilly (who played three seasons with McCabe in Buffalo) and Zach Aston-Reese (who played three seasons and was an occasional linemate with Lafferty in Pittsburgh).
“(Our deal) was nearly at or over the finish line when the Tampa Bay and Nashville deal came down,… Dubas said. “We have to focus on ourselves and worry about ourselves. We know it is going to be really tough. We have been through it before. We know these are elite competitors.…
Currently, the Leafs do not have the cap room to activate goalie Matt Murray off of LTIR, which might indicate that they may trade someone off the current roster (Alex Kerfoot, Pierre Engvall, or Justin Holl) to clear cap space, but Dubas is taking his time to sort through his cap situation and did not rule out making another deal before the deadline.
“We went through this last year, too, where we thought we were going to have to make another move, and Rasmus Sandin got hurt in Nashville and missed the remainder of the year. An old friend of mine used to say, ‘When time is on your side, use it.’ We will do that here.… Dubas said. “I think we will still be busy and active and try to find if there is any way we can continue to improve. It is at the balance now where you kind of get between whether you are changing the group too much.…
The Leafs need to hold a roster spot for the signing of prospect Matthew Knies at the end of the season (the club is currently at 49 professional contracts), which means whatever deals Dubas pulls off will entail moving out one contract in exchange for another. Toronto could still be in on defenseman Luke Schenn, but the club has eight blueliners on the NHL roster and veteran Jordie Benn in reserve in the minors. More than likely, the target for Toronto would be a physical forward like Ottawa’s Austin Watson or Florida's Ryan Lomberg
The numbers are in! 👀 pic.twitter.com/RdyEKEiUF2
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 27, 2023