A Realistic but Optimistic Offseason

Team: 2020-21 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: Oct. 3, 2020

Published: Oct. 3, 2020

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

1. Leafs draft Braden Schneider with the 15th overall pick in this year’s draft. If he’s available at 15, I think it’d be crazy for the Leafs not to take him. I see him probably starting with the big club on a 7-game stint and likely going back to Brandon for another season.

2. Sign RFA Ilya Mikheyev to a one year “prove-it” deal around 1.5 to 2.5 mil. Maybe Dermott gets moved with the signing of Lethonen and maybe the Goat doesn’t come back due to salary cap constraints.

3. Need to upgrade on defence. I think this is done in the form of a trade with Minny for Matt Dumba. I imagine the price is a young NHL-ready forward and a 1st round pick. It’s either Kerfoot or Johnsson and next year’s first.

4. Andersen gets moved in what will likely be a cap-dump for an early round pick with conditions for upgrade of the pick is Andersen re-signs with that team. A few teams make sense: (Carolina, Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado...).

5. Leafs fill the vacant goaltending spot through free agency. It’s not going to be one the top-goalies (Holtby, Markstrom). Has to be on a team-friendly deal. I’m thinking they take go with one of Crawford (probably re-signs in CHI), Greiss, Talbot (probably re-signs in CGY) or Howard. I’ll say Greiss is the most likely option.

6. Fill in the remaining roster spots with European signings Lethonen and Barabonov (I can’t imagine they signed NHL contracts to play in the AHL), Yegor Korshkov, and re-signing Jason Spezza.

So yah, that’s what I’d consider a realistic offseason for the Leafs. Let me know what you think!

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