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The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their quest to make their roster more prepared for a first-round matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning, making a trio of deals that brought in more size and sandpaper on defense and restocking the shelves of draft capital.
After acquiring defenseman Jake McCabe and forward Sam Lafferty on Monday, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas in the span of two hours sent defenseman Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals for a 2023 first-round pick and defenseman Erik Gustafsson, dealt winger Pierre Engvall to the NY Islanders for a 2024 third-round pick, and acquired former Leaf Luke Schenn from the Vancouver in exchange for a 2023 third round pick.
Sandin, 22, had 20 points (4 goals, 16 assists) in 52 games for the Leafs, showed progress in his second full season handling the power play when Morgan Rielly was injured and was effective when partnered with fellow Swede Timothy Liljegren, but the acquisition of McCabe made the 2018 first rounder expendable.
Gustafsson, 30, has 38 points (7 goals, 31 assists) in 61 games with Washington this season, including a hat trick against the Leafs. Toronto also received Boston’s 2023 first-round pick, which the Capitals received earlier in the week in the Dmitry Orlov/Garnet Hathaway deal.
Engvall, 26, had 21 points (12 goals, 9 assists) in 58 games playing mostly in a checking role, but has long frustrated fans and some in the organization with his consistency and taking advantage of his ample skill.
The Leafs received a 2024 third-round pick in the deal and almost immediately swapped their 2023 third to the Canucks for Schenn.
The 33-year-old two-time Cup winner was the Leafs fifth overall pick in 2008 and was traded in 2012 for James van Riemsdyk. He has made stops in Los Angeles, Arizona, Anaheim, Tampa Bay, and Vancouver. Schenn most importantly for Toronto leads the NHL in hits with 258 and along with McCabe adds size and sandpaper to the Leafs blueline, made even more of a necessity with the Lightning’s acquisition of Tanner Jeannot.
Schenn will arrive in Edmonton on Wednesday, while Gustafsson will not join the team until Thursday in Calgary, but when either get in the lineup will depend on what further moves are made before 3 pm Friday.
Toronto currently has nine defensemen on the roster and veteran Jordie Benn assigned to the AHL Toronto Marlies. Gustafsson is primarily a power play quarterback with a low salary ($800,000) and is a luxury in case as a reserve for Rielly, whereas it is very possible that the veteran could be flipped to recoup a mid-round pick and clear salary space for another acquisition.
The club is currently carrying only 12 forwards on the NHL roster, with veteran Wayne Simmonds in reserve in the minors, along with Pontus Holmberg, Alex Steeves, and Bobby McMann. Matthew Knies will likely join the club in April after his NCAA season is complete, but there may be room for an addition of one more forward in the next 48 hours.
An effective physical forward like Ottawa’s Austin Watson (who has 72 penalty minutes and scored two goals in a 6-1 victory over Detroit) would reportedly cost a mid-round pick, and the 6’4”, 204 lb winger would be a counter to big Tampa forwards Jeannot, Patrick Maroon, and Nick Paul.
Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that Alex Kerfoot will take Engvall’s spot on the third line with David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok, and that the fourth line will be Lafferty, Zach Aston-Reese, and Noel Acciari, but hinted with the new found flexibility in his lineup, he may shift Ryan O’Reilly to play center on the third line.
Ilya Samsonov will get the start and will be opposed by former Leaf Jack Campbell.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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