OHTANI

Team: 2023-24 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: Dec. 8, 2023

Published: Dec. 8, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Since everyone in Toronto is going crazy about the Ohtani rumors, I thought now a good time to mock-up an all-in leafs move. For a while I've been frustrated with how the Leafs (Dubas and now Treliving) have designed their D-cores: Bottom Up. I say this because it seems like the Leafs build depth on the back end but they really don't have high-end guys, aside from Reilly who best suited to a 1A/1B top defenceman model. Even in recent years the Leafs have prioritized second and third pairing guys like Giordano, McCabe, Klingberg and now potentially Tanev, who are also older and not long-term fits. While Tanev is a great player, the difference between him and the worst Leafs defender is not a massive gap. In my opinion, this iteration of the Leafs will win a cup unless they have another elite defenceman. Vince Dunn is the best defenceman on a non-playoff team as of now, in my opinion, and his contract is moveable enough that Seattle might explore trading him in the right deal. This would cost a lot so I've included a First-rounder and Topi Niemela, the Leafs top defensive prospect and a potential call-up as soon as this year. To match the salaries, I also swapped Bertuzzi for Tanev, a Toronto guy with some grit and identity in the bottom six. For this, I included Nick Abruzzesse, a solid young guy who I don't think will ever truly crack the Leafs, and Arturs Akhtiamov, one of the Leafs many goalie prospects. Overall, I feel this trade would push the Leafs into true contender status and set them up for more than just a year.