Possible Off-Season Moves for the Toronto Maple Leafs - by Moses

  

      Now that the Leafs season has ended there will be some attention to detail by the Leafs brass as to how to correct the problem we had in this year's playoffs.  The reality is that we didn't show up to play in games five and seven (losing both games 6-1).  It was a poor display defensively that sent us off to the golf courses.  While our core was strong through the year we now have to decide what components to downsize and where we have to add depth.  

  I think it's obvious that we need a top two defenceman to compliment Simone Benoit, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, and Connor Timmins.  Now that they let Marner go to free-agency I think we should trade a 2025 1st round draft pick, Morgan Rielly and Joseph Woll to the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenseman Zach Werenski, or trade the same components to the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Quinn Hughes.  

  This would give us a strong six defensemen to play in front of Anthony Stolarz, who was stellar in net all year long.  Joseph Woll, by his own right was a proud force in net as the two goalie approach worked in the Leafs favor this year.  In the 2023/24 playoffs Woll won two games against the Bruins only to lose the start for the final game to Samsonov in the best of seven series.  As a back-up that year Woll won twelve games (after going 6-1 the year before).  The reality is that Woll was a main cog in the success of this years Leafs.  For Christ's sake he had 41 GP with 27 wins and 14 losses with 1 OTL and a G.A.A of 2.73 and a save % of .909 and is still only 25 years of age.  Something has to give though so Dennis Hildeby looks primed to back up Stolarz for next year (and perhaps challenge for top spot as #1 goalie in a couple of years).  Hildeby had a banner year with the Marlies this last year and is a beast at 6'7".

  The fact is that at $7.5 Million U.S.D for Rielly and $3.66 Million U.S.D. for Woll makes them expendable, and makes it possible for the Leafs to ink Hughes to a long-term deal.  As a result of dealing for Quinn Hughes the Leafs gain credibility when analyzing their point of attacks, as Hughes is a scoring threat in the Raymond Bourque mold.  This is how our team would look on paper after the proposed trade with the Canucks.

Forecast for the 2025/26 Campaign;

Record

55-Wins -20 Losses with 7 OTL (117 Points)

Head Coach - Craig Berube

Goalies                            GS   W  L   OTL   G.A.A  Sa%  SO

1.  Anthony Stolarz        57    41  13    3        2.20    .925     7

2.  Dennis Hildeby          25    14  7     4        2.56    .917     3 

3.  Matt Murray  -  Minors -

Defencemen                                  GP    G     A      Pts     +/-    PIM    

1.  Quinn Hughes                         82     25    77    102     +50    60

2.  Connor Timmins                     75     12    42     54     +37    55

3.  Oliver Ekman-Larsson           80      9    25     34      +21    90        

4.  Chris Tanev                             77      5     23     28     +24    77 

5.  Simone Benoit                         80     10   17      27     +26   110  

6.  Jake McCabe                          70       5   17      22     +15   130 

Forwards

1.  Auston Matthews (C)           82    58    63    121  +33      40      

2.  William Nylander (RW/C)  80     50    50   100   +14     33 

3.  Matthew Knies (LW)           77     43    50    93    +30     59

4.  John Tavares (C)                 80     40     50   90     +16     58    

5.  Max Domi (RW)                  73     33    33    66    +14    127   

6.  Max Pacioretty (LW)          80     30    36    66    +15     19

7.  Bobby McMann (LW)        65     20    32    52    +10     55 

8.  Nick Robertson (C/LW)     81     17    30    47     +8      70  

9.  Pontus Holmberg (RW)     80     10    21    31     +7      67