The Toronto Maple Leafs have a need in their top-six, and they are linked to trading for a two-time Stanley Cup winner to fill that need.
The Maple Leafs saw Mitch Marner leave this offseason and truly haven’t replaced him yet. With that, Toronto’s general manager Brad Treliving has said that’s a need.
With the Maple Leafs looking to bolster their top-six, NHL analyst Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report links Toronto to trading for Pittsburgh Penguins star Bryan Rust.
“After letting Mitch Marner go in free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been trying to take a quantity-over-quality approach to replacing him in an effort to balance out their lineup,” Gretz wrote. “Whether that will pay off remains to be seen, but even if we assume they made the right depth additions, they still need another top-six winger. Rust would fit that criteria, and he’d also bring some winning credibility to a locker room that has lacked it.”
Rust has three years left on his six-year, $30.75 million deal with the Penguins. He helped Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, and would give the Maple Leafs a proven winner to the lineup.
Rust could play on the top line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies and add some offense that was lost with Marner. He recorded 31 goals and 34 assists for 65 points in 71 games last season.
Maple Leafs Would Need to Get ‘Creative’ to Add Rust
Although Gretz believes Rust would be a good fit for the Maple Leafs, he isn’t sure Toronto will trade for him.
The Maple Leafs have just under $3 million in cap space, so Toronto would have to clear cap. Yet, Toronto could move on from David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok to clear the cap.
“The Maple Leafs would need to get a little creative to make the money work. Given they have just a little more than $2 million in salary-cap space. Though that can always be worked around,” Gretz added. “The Maple Leafs keep losing in the playoffs because they never score enough goals or come through in big moments. Rust has a knack for being the type of player who has consistently come through in big games. Is he better than Marner? No, but he has the type of big-game DNA the Maple Leafs are lacking.”
Toronto would also have to part ways with a top prospect or two and some draft picks to acquire Rust.
Maple Leafs Need to Add to Top-Six
Toronto saw Marner and his 102 points leave this offseason, and the Maple Leafs haven’t truly replaced him.
Instead, Toronto added more depth to the bottom-six by trading for Nic Roy, Dakota Joshua, and signing Michael Pezzetta. The team also traded for Mattias Maccelli, who could be a top-six forward. But Treliving says the team still needs to add a top-six forward.
“When a player of Mitch’s magnitude moves away, that’s never a fun day… In a situation where a player was walking away this morning for nothing, we were able to recoup a player that fits a need for us… Mitch was a top-six forward, and we haven’t replaced that hole,” Treliving said on July 1. “That’s really where our focus is.”
With the top free agents all signed, the Maple Leafs will need to acquire a top-six forward in a trade.
Maple Leafs Linked to Trading for 2-Time Cup Winner to Bolster Top-6