Kyle Dubas Pulls Off Multiple Trades to Shake up the Depth of the Maple Leafs and Could More be Coming?
Dubas #Dubas
After a pair of trades that saw no players taken away from the active roster, the Toronto Maple Leafs GM parted ways with Rasmus Sandin and Pierre Engvall in what might be an unpopular but necessary move.
EDMONTON — Shortly after Kyle Dubas pulled off a major trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Toronto Maple Leafs GM was asked if he was done making moves.
“It’s at the balance now of where you get between whether you are changing the group too much.”
One day later, Dubas added to the reconstruction of his team’s depth.
First, he traded defenseman 22-year-old Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals for 30-year-old defenseman Erik Gustafsson and Boston’s first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He then moved forward Pierre Engvall to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2024 third-round draft pick. Later he added to the team’s defensive depth again by acquiring Luke Schenn from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
“Kyle looked at our team and has been really honest about it,” Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said to reporters of the moves. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that we’ve improved in our depth and our competitiveness at both at forward and defense.”
Previous to Tuesday’s multiple moves, the Leafs were able to add to their team by keeping their roster in fact. On Feb. 18, Toronto acquired centers Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues. On Monday, they landed defenseman Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty from the Chicago Blues. The overall cost of both trades is a lot of draft picks, prospects Mikhail Abramov and Pavel Gogolev and Marlies forwards Adam Gaudette and Joey Anderson.
This time the Leafs had to part with some everyday players.
“They’re great guys,” Auston Matthews said of Sandin and Engvall. “It’s always tough, it’s just the business side of the game where things like this happen. It just is what it is and we obviously wish them all the best.”
In the end, Sandin’s time comes without really having a chance to prove himself in the playoffs. He played five games during the 2021 playoffs. In 2022, a knee injury sustained back in March ended his regular season. Although it’s believed he was healthy enough to return, he wasn’t selected to suit up.
A long summer ensued when training camp opened and Sandin wasn’t signed yet. He ultimately settled on a two-year, $2.8 million contract extension (the same terms his fellow teammate and countryman Timothy Liljegren agreed to in June). He cited an opportunity to contribute as defensemen began to fall by the wayside.
But with the arrival of McCabe, it was clear that Sandin was going to find himself in a similar spot to last year. And to Toronto’s credit, they got a useful piece in Gustavsson and a high draft pick for the 22-year-old first-round pick from 2018.
Engvall’s move comes as a bit of a surprise. He had played in all but two games with the Leafs this season and appeared to become a staple on the team’s third line. His underlying statistics have been good, particularly with David Kampf, where the center’s numbers drop without Engvall by his side.
But what became evident was Toronto had to begin looking at their salary-cap situation. With goaltender Matt Murray set to come off long-term injured reserve (ankle injury), Toronto was going to have to unlock some space.
Moving Sandin for Gustavsson netted a difference of $600,000 for Toronto. While moving all of Engvall’s contract unlocked another $2.25 million.
Both Sandin and Engvall were popular homegrown players who delivered exceptional underlying numbers, but the move to acquire more defensive-minded players continues as Toronto builds from their more defensive identity they have established this year.
Gustavsson and Schenn join Conor Timmins as extra defensemen on the Leafs roster right now. And you can make the argument that the latter is ninth at the moment, given his lack of experience.
For Schenn, it’s a full-circle journey to return to the team that drafted him fifth overall in the 2008 NHL Draft.
“[He’s] a guy that’s spent time in the minors and worked his way back,” Keefe said of Schenn. “Kyle [Dubas} talked to him and he’s really excited to be coming back to Toronto.”
What’s next?
Given the craziness of the day, anything can happen with the Maple Leafs between now and the Mar. 3 NHL trade deadline. Unlike after the trade with the Blackhawks on Monday, Dubas did not address reporters before the team flew to Edmonton. The Leafs acquired Boston’s first-round pick and it could be a valuable piece should Toronto want to move it. Toronto has improved in every position in goaltending and although Dubas said earlier this month he was happy with the team in that position, he also said the team wasn’t looking at any of the big names before they acquired Ryan O’Reilly from the St. Louis Blues. Lots can still happen.
Toronto’s cap situation
After all three trades on Wednesday, the Leafs are carrying 12 forwards, nine defensemen and two goalies on their active roster with $4.85 million in salary cap space, according to Puckpedia.com. When Murray is ready to come off LTIR, Joseph Woll would be sent down, leaving the club with roughly $741,000 in cap space. They could use that money to make another move. They are currently at 49 out of a possible 50 contracts, so a slot is open. However, if the Leafs have plans to sign collegiate prospect Matthew Knies after his season with the University of Minnesota comes to an end, they’d need that 50th slot.
Should be a fun next few days…