The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to be sellers ahead of the March 6 NHL trade deadline.
Toronto is dead last in the Atlantic Division, and the Maple Leafs should look to sell. Ahead of the deadline, Heavy.com has a trade idea that sees the Maple Leafs trading Anthony Stolarz to the Montreal Canadiens.
Maple Leafs acquire:
Canadiens acquire:
The proposed one-for-one swap makes sense for both sides and is an intriguing move for both teams, who are heated rivals.
The Maple Leafs have been linked to trading a goalie, as Dennis Hildeby is no longer waiver-exempt next season, and he would for sure be claimed if Toronto tried to pass him down. So, Toronto could look to trade Stolarz or Woll and keep the other with Hildeby next season.
Stolarz does seem like the likely goalie to be traded, as he has shown flashes of being dominant as a starter, but health issues have plagued him. Yet, he looks healthy now and would become the Canadiens’ starting goalie and bolster the position for their playoff push. Stolarz is set to enter the first year of a four-year, $14 million deal next season. Stolarz is 7-8-1 with a 3.51 and a .885 SV%.
In return, the Maple Leafs would acquire Owen Beck, who has gotten a chance in Montreal to be an everyday player. But, with Toronto, he could add some much-needed center depth, especially if Scott Laughton and Nic Roy get traded. Beck has skated in 15 games this season, recording 1 goal.
Maple Leafs Could Make Bold Moves at Deadline
Toronto is expected to be one of the top sellers at the deadline, and it might not just be the pending free agents.
Instead, the team could also look to make some bigger moves, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.
“There’s a lot of talk about the UFAs and what they could do, but the word around the Maple Leafs now is that they’re widening their scope of what they’d consider,” Friedman said on Saturday Headlines. “Now I don’t think it is anything like Matthews or Nylander. I don’t think we’re talking about anything like that. But the word around them is that they’re widening their ideas of what they may consider. And they are talking a bit more about players with term.”
Ahead of the trade deadline, the Maple Leafs have been linked to trading the likes of Bobby McMann, Laughton, Simon Benoit, Max Domi, Nic Roy, Matias Maccelli, and potentially a goalie.
Montreal Could Look to Add a Goalie
The Canadiens are holding onto a playoff spot, but goaltending has been an issue for the team.
Samuel Montembeault has struggled this season, while Jakub Dobes has been inconsistent. With that, Montreal could look to acquire a goalie at the deadline, and the team is linked to Sergei Bobrovsky.
“Montreal Canadiens. You look at the Montreal Canadiens this year, their goaltending has not been strong enough,” Craig Button said on TSN. “As recently as their last game versus the Islanders, Samuel Montembeault wasn’t good enough. When I look at Sergei Bobrovsky, as recent as last June when he led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup, that’s the type of player (Montreal needs). Been there, done that, won that. The Montreal Canadiens could benefit from Sergei Bobrovsky.”
However, if Montreal can’t land Bobrovsky, perhaps they pivot and look to add a Maple Leafs goaltender.
Trade Pitch Sees Maple Leafs Dealing Stolarz to Heated Rival in Intriguing Move