Lots of Questions as the Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL Head to Trade Deadline
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The NHL’s trade deadline is at 3 p.m. on March 3. On the Toronto Maple Leafs’ front, that raises some interesting questions on where to go with the current roster, and how that relates to Stanley Cup futures.
Maple Leafs Looking for Help on Defence
According to reports, the Leafs are enquiring about trading for help on defence, since it looks like Jake Muzzin (neck injury) is finished for the season.
It’s not like they have the stomach or, even if they did have the stomach, to trade the draft and prospect capital to make a big splash. Sounds like, there is no appetite to trade prospect Matthew Knies.
So it’s looking more and more like lower-level, third- or fourth-round picks to acquire a sixth or seventh defenceman-type to fill out the back end in the Ilya Lyubushkin vein, and a Hail Mary that the goaltending should hold up in the playoffs. Right now, the Leafs would again go up against the Tampa Bay Lightning and G Andrei Vasilevskiy in a first-round matchup. How does that taste?
Doing a Jakob Chychrun-type or Timo Meier-type deal looks more like a long shot, according to reports. And that’s logical.
The ankle injury to Matt Murray is of concern since it’s just another chapter in the Murray book of injuries to go with his adductor issues from last fall. Expect an update on Murray’s status Thursday when the Leafs' practice for the first time since the All-Star break.
Ilya Samsonov has taken the No. 1 goalie reins. The good news is the Leafs are seventh in the league in goals-against average, at 2.67, and 14th in save percentage, at .909.
What's Ahead for Toronto?
The Leafs go into back-to-back games against the Blue Jackets Friday in Columbus, then back home in Toronto the next night. Columbus is horrible, right in the thick of the Connor Bedard sweepstakes, last in the NHL at 15-32-4. The Leafs have recalled red-hot goalie Joseph Woll from the Marlies and he’ll start one of those games. That’s a situation to keep an eye on as well.
So the Leafs will be favoured in both games, a prime opportunity to make hay in the Eastern Conference, where they are currently tied with the New Jersey Devils for fourth with 70 points. No one wants to face the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs again, so the more they can build a lead over the Devils for third, the better.
Some interesting NHL Futures sent to us from the data analysts at BetMGM show the Carolina Hurricanes going from 9.0 to 8.0 and the Colorado Avalanche going from 9.0 to 8.5 on the Stanley Cup front, with the Leafs at 11.0.
The Boston Bruins have the shortest odds at 5.5, getting 12.6 per cent of tickets/bets and 13.5 per cent of the handle. Colorado is on top there – 15.2 per cent and 19.5 per cent respectively. The Leafs? – 7.6 per cent and 8.5 per cent, respectively.
BetMGM has the Leafs at 6.5 to win the East, after the Bruins (3.5) and Hurricanes (4.5).
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