Team: 2020-21 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: Jul. 31, 2020

Published: Jul. 31, 2020

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

With the big 4 contracts up front, we need elite pl;ayers at other questions at bargain prices in order to be perennial contenders for the cup. In the past, Goaltending has been an issue until Freddy was acquired. In this draft, there is a goalie, Yaroslav Askarov who is touted to be as good as Vasilevski and maybe even better. Having an elite goalie of that ilk at less than a million dollar cap hit would be the advantage the leafs need to shore up the defense in the future for cup runs.

New Jersey would do this trade because for the cost of a first round pick (which they have 3 of, this being the middle pick), they get a second line winger with potential of scoring at minimum 20 goals a season and 40 points, a second round pick and free themselves of schniders contract.

The leafs can afford to take this deal because they essential shed salary cap (place schneider on LTIR thanks to their deep pockets) , move up in the draft to get a number one goalie and more space to shore up the defense without significant asset loss.

We can roll with these lines for the next year until the trade deadline and should be in playoff contention (second or third seed), depending on Askarov's development and how Lehtonen (hoping he can be a good #3 behind Rielly and Muzzin) performs, we could make a couple trades to upgrade defense without sacrificing too much. Maybe package Anderson with picks and prospects (if Askarov's is ready) and free up 4 million in cap space. At worst, if he is not ready, we can have Askarov serve as back up in next year's playoffs so he can take over once Anderson's deal expires and go big name RD shopping next offseason.