The Toronto Maple Leafs have a talented group of forwards led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares, as well as quality depth with Nazem Kadri, Patrick Marleau, Kasperi Kapanen and William Nylander, but head coach Mike Babcock continues to mention that his group is short of “heavy” players other than Zach Hyman.
The club has internal options such as Mason Marchment, Carl Grundstrom and Pierre Engvall that could be brought up from the American Hockey League, but with the Leafs poised for a potential Stanley Cup run, adding someone with experience from outside the organization might be preferable if GM Kyle Dubas thinks they are not ready.
The cost of a “heavy player” capable of playing in Toronto’s top six (such as Philadelphia’s Wayne Simmonds) would be close to what the Leafs might have to pay to get the top four defenseman that many believe they need to improve their post-season chances, which means if the Leafs due add a veteran role player, it would be someone they could get for a very reasonable cost.
Vegas obtained big winger Ryan Reaves prior to their run to the Cup Final as part of a salary dump in a three-way trade between the Golden Knights, Ottawa and Pittsburgh, which is something that the Leafs could explore with a sizable amount of cap space available.
Dubas and Mike Babcock are likely not looking for a one-dimensional enforcer to take a spot on the fourth line, otherwise the Leafs would have kept Matt Martin, but they may be open adding some character, size and player experience if the cost is not prohibitive.
Here are five possible options that fit that description who the Leafs could add before February 25th:
Troy Brouwer, (Winger - Florida Panthers) - The 33-year-old Vancouver native was bought out of a long-term contract with Calgary and signed a one-year, $800,000 deal by Panthers GM Dale Tallon, who was part of the management group that drafted him in Chicago in 2004.
A veteran of 102 playoff games and a Stanley Cup victory with the Hawks in 2010, the 6’3”, 213 lb. winger has seven goals in 34 games with Florida and is known for his work ethic.
Jordan Nolan (Winger – St. Louis Blues) - Nolan spent most of his NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings, winning a Cup in 2012, but has been a journeyman the last two seasons, getting claimed by Buffalo off of waivers and signing with St. Louis this season.
The 29-year-old has split time between San Antonio and the Blues this season and is a crash-and-bang winger that would be a fit as fourth liner to provide some pushback against bigger, more physical teams.
Patrick Maroon (Winger – St. Louis Blues) - The 30-year-old struck out on getting a long-term contract as a free agent last summer and settled for a one-year deal with his hometown Blues after scoring 27 goals as Connor McDavid’s winger two years ago and 17 last season with Edmonton and New Jersey.
With the Leafs not as deep on the left side, Maroon is capable of playing with skilled players and can also use his size (6’3”, 225 lb) to his advantage.
Kyle Clifford (Winger – Los Angeles Kings) - Playoff experience and a low $1.6 Million cap hit for another season are the attractive qualities of the 27-year-old Clifford, who has won a Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014.
With Los Angeles likely initiating a partial rebuild with their club near the bottom of the NHL standings, pending UFA Carl Hagelin, and veterans like Clifford and blueliners Jake Muzzin and Alec Martinez may be popular names on the trade market.
Brian Boyle (Center – New Jersey Devils) - Could it be Déjà vu all over again? The Leafs have been rotating between Par Lindholm and Frederik Gauthier centering the fourth line and neither has locked up the job.
Toronto is familiar with Boyle from his rental stint two years ago and the 34-year-old is looking for that elusive Cup after deep playoff runs with the Rangers and Tampa Bay. The big center has nine goals in 30 games with the Devils and as long as he does not cost them a second round pick this time around, he could be a good late season addition.
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