The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the top teams in the NHL and will be active ahead of the trade deadline.
The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquiring Patrick Kane from the Detroit Red Wings.
Maple Leafs acquire:
- Patrick Kane ($2 million retained)
Red Wings acquire:
The proposed deal would be an intriguing one as Toronto would acquire a future Hall of Famer in Kane in a one-for-one swap.
Kane signed a one-year $4 million deal with the Red Wings to return to Detroit. But, with the Red Wings unlikely to make the playoffs, the proposed deal would see them deal Kane to Toronto. Kane would be a top-six forward with the Maple Leafs and add some more offense to the lineup. This season, he’s skated in 42 games recording 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points. He helped lead the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015.
In return, Toronto would deal Robertson who requested a trade this offseason. Robertson is just 23 years old and would be part of a young Detroit core, as the Red Wings would deal Kane who is a pending UFA for a young forward. With the Maple Leafs this season, Robertson has skated in 42 games recording 8 goals and 4 assists for 12 points.
Kane is Considered a Hall of Fame Lock
Kane is one of the best players of this generation and will be a Hall of Famer when he retires.
In August, Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler revealed 13 NHLers who are locks for the Hall of Fame and she listed Kane.
“While you won’t see Kane’s name topping any of the Blackhawk’s all-time statistical leaderboards — Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull pretty much have those Original Six franchise records on lockdown — there is no doubt his decade-plus run of success with the club changed the league’s landscape,” Sadler wrote.
“The decorated goal-scorer propelled Chicago to three Stanley Cups within a six-year time frame. Also adding a Conn Smythe, Hart Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award to his resume in the process. He became the first American-born player to lead the league in scoring in 2015-16. And, currently sits second in assists (813) and third in points on the all-time U.S. player leaderboard,” Sadler added.
Kane is a nine-time NHL All-Star and won the Hart Trophy which is the league’s MVP in 2016.
Maple Leafs Urged to Acquire a Top-Six Forward
The Maple Leafs are a legit Stanley Cup contender but Toronto still has some holes on its roster.
Sportsnet’s Justin Bourne believes Toronto needs to acquire a top-six forward before the March 7 trade deadline.
“Whatever it is the Leafs think of their team, they can’t overlook the apparent fragility at the top of their lineup,” Bourne wrote. “You don’t know what’s going to happen, but you need to be prepared if things don’t go perfectly. They’re a legitimately good team with elite difference-makers in a year with the most parity of any I can remember. They’ve got as good a chance as just about anybody in the East. So, when all the buyers take that inevitable step forward at the deadline, the Leafs need to make a healthy leap.”
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Trade Pitch Sees Maple Leafs Acquring Future Hall of Famer From Rival