As we approach the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, the rumours continue to swirl around the Maple Leafs as they look to add a forward, particularly for the top-six and bolster their offense. They have been linked to San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier for some time now, but the asking price remains a big price to pay for general manager Kyle Dubas.
While it would be nice to get a high-end talent like Meier into the top-six for the Maple Leafs, there are still some options out there that would provide great value and the price could be slightly more reasonable for Dubas to pay. Considering how he doesn’t want to pay a high price for a rental, still getting a talented player with term at the deadline isn’t out of the question.
Here are three players that would provide significant upside to the team’s top-six while having them beyond the 2022-23 season.
Conor Garland
I have been on the Conor Garland train for some time. Whether he was with the Arizona Coyotes or the Vancouver Canucks, he always seemed like a good fit for the Maple Leafs as he plays with a great amount of pace and speed. It was speculated that they’ve had interest before and they should now.
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Garland has always had the speed to cut to the outside to beat defenders and open the game up very well. He has the awareness to be in a great spot to receive a pass and even set others up. That kind of play would really suit well with captain John Tavares and Mitch Marner.
A versatile winger who can play the left or right side, Garland carries a cap hit of $4.95 million for the next three seasons after 2022-23. While you could look for the Canucks to retain a small portion of that salary, it’s great value to have a top-six winger making less than $5 million. For a Maple Leafs team that’s looking to stay within the cap, that’s a bonus.
Garland had a career season in 2021-22 as he posted 19 goals and 52 points. While the Canucks have had a rough 2022-23 season, his 28 points still have him in the top-10 in team scoring. While he’s not on-pace to match last season’s total, being on an offensive team like the Maple Leafs would help with his production, passing and ability to set up at the side of the net for a scoring opportunity.
The Canucks as a whole don’t have the best underlying numbers at five-on-five, as they have a 48.34 Crosi for percentage and a 46.89 expected goals for percentage. Garland however, has much better results for the team when he’s on the ice (min. 300 minutes) as he has the third best CF% with 51.45 and fourth best xGF% with 48.23.
Considering how he hasn’t replicated last season’s success, he still has value in a top-six role. The Maple Leafs could look to buy low on Garland or even make a bigger deal in acquiring another player. The Canucks are in seller mode after captain Bo Horvat was dealt and Garland could be a name on the move.
Adam Henrique
Anaheim Ducks forward Adam Henrique has maintained a consistent level of play as a secondary scorer, as he can register 40-50 points. A five-time 20-goal scorer, he is once again about to hit that mark this season and could definitely provide some goal scoring for the Maple Leafs. Some salary would need to be retained on his $5.825 million cap hit, but he does have value as he would be a free agent after next season.
In comparison to current Maple Leafs forward Alexander Kerfoot, Henrique provides much more offensive upside in a top-six role. Kerfoot has only hit the double-digit goal mark only once since being acquired by the Colorado Avalanche in the Nazem Kadri trade. After scoring 34 goals in two seasons with the Avalanche, Kerfoot has scored 37 in four seasons with the Maple Leafs. During that time, Henrique has scored 76 goals.
While Kerfoot is a playmaker, his decision making when faced with a shooting opportunity has been questionable. He’s always passing up an opportunity and when he does, he shoots the puck right at the logo on the jersey. He lacks the deception and accuracy. Henrique on the other hand has the ability to attack the middle of the ice and get a shot off. He can thrive against tough competition and can put goals on the board.
At 5v5 with a minimum of 300 minutes, Henrique possesses the best goals for percentage with 49.18, high danger chances for percentage with 45.97 and has the second best high danger goals for percentage of 44.83. To lead a team that’s low in the standings in those categories is very impressive and despite the Ducks not being competitive the last three seasons, he continues to produce in a key area that’ll be more important in the playoffs.
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The Maple Leafs have done a great job of trying to generate opportunities in the high danger area, but Henrique would push them over the top in being a net front presence. With the pace that both Tavares and Marner play at, Henrique would be a great complimentary piece to that line as he has great speed and strength to crash and get shots on net. The Maple Leafs need goals and he could provide support.
Travis Konecny
Much like everyone else on this list, Konecny’s underlying numbers this season aren’t reflective of what he has done in the past or this season. With a contract at a reasonable cap hit of $5.5 million for the next two seasons, he has been extremely productive (49 points this season) for the Philadelphia Flyers where the team has struggled mightily.
Over the last four seasons, Konecny is the most productive Flyer with 196 points in 244 games played and has hit the 50-point mark twice in his career. This season will be three. He’s an all situations type of player as he can make an impact at 5v5, the power play and the penalty kill. He can do some serious damage as he has a powerful release and can generate quality chances when he’s on the ice. Here is a breakdown of his numbers the last four seasons.
| Season | CF% | SCF% |
| 2019-20 | 54.77 | 54.23 |
| 2020-21 | 55.26 | 53.74 |
| 2021-22 | 49.75 | 48.41 |
| 2022-23 | 48.09 | 45.99 |
If there’s one benefit to bringing in Konecny, is that he plays with a high level of energy. Every time he’s out there, he’s a firecracker as he has the speed to hunt down pucks, battle for possession and have the intensity needed for this stretch and into the playoffs. He may not be a physical player, but he’s the kind of player you want on the ice at all times because of his intensity, work ethic and effort to make an impact.
With his speed and production, he could definitely be a perfect fit on a team that prides itself on puck possession and offensive zone time.
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Should the Maple Leafs miss out on one of the marquee top-six forward options at the trade deadline, there are plenty of other names that stand out that could garner their interest. Garland, Henrique and Konecny all have the upside to come into the lineup and provide an impact offensively. They all have term, so it wouldn’t be a waste to give up assets for immediate help right now as they would be great additions.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference, Cap Friendly and NHL.