It’s nearly a month into the new calendar year and the NHL Trade Deadline seems to be creeping closer — and quickly. At this point in the season, most teams are looking to solidify what they have on their roster for their final playoff push.
Recently, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was quoted saying that even after 42 games this season he wasn’t sure who he could trust within his lineup — not words you want to hear this late into a season from a team that should be a competitor.
There have been rumblings around the team in regards to finding more toughness up front and getting an extra piece on defence. So it’s no wonder that there have been representatives from the Maple Leafs attending other games around the league — scouting potential trade targets.
With that, on January 20, a member of the Maple Leafs scouting team was in attendance when the Los Angeles Kings took on the New York Rangers. While there’s no clear cut target they were there to look at, here are three potential players the Maple Leafs could look to acquire from the game between the Kings and Rangers.
Barclay Goodrow
It’s not the first time the Maple Leafs have been linked to Barclay Goodrow. Prior to him signing with the Rangers, his name circulated amongst Leafs Nation as a potential bottom six grab in free agency.
At the time, Goodrow was coming off two Stanley Cup runs with the Tampa Bay Lightning and a season in which he put up 20 points in 55 games for the Lighting in their bottom six. His value with the Lightning landed him a six-year contract that carries an annual average value of just over $3.64 million through 2026-27. However, it also includes a modified no-trade clause that comes with a 15-team no-trade list. So that would be the first hurdle the Maple Leafs would have to jump.
Still, his numbers since joining the Rangers have improved up until this season. In 2021-22, he tallied a career-high 33 points in 79 games including 13 goals averaging nearly 17 minutes per game. He followed that up with a 31-point season in 2022-23 in 82 games while dropping over two minutes of ice-time per game.
He brings a physical, no-quit attitude with him and it’s something that the Maple Leafs could use more off in their lineup as consistency has been an issue this season for the club. As for Goodrow, something hasn’t clicked this season as he has just one goal and five points in 44 games this season and his on pace for just nine points — which would be his lowest total since 2016-17 with the San Jose Sharks when he played just three games.
Goodrow is an interesting option for the Maple Leafs because he carries term on his contract and it isn’t overly expensive — a tag that the team could work around with another minor move in their lineup.
Nick Bonino
Another option the Maple Leafs could be looking at from the Rangers up front is veteran Nick Bonino. The 35-year-old also has just five points through 44 games with the Rangers this season.
Bonino doesn’t offer as much in terms of the physicality and offence that the Maple Leafs could get with Goodrow, however, he does bring a plethora of playoff experience. In fact, he has littered 105 playoff games over 10 seasons with five different teams. On top of that, he has two Stanley Cups to show for it — won with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Now, the only issue with Bonino is that he would be a rental. He’s on a one-year deal with a cap hit of $800,000. It wouldn’t take much to land him, but the question then becomes is it worth it for the Maple Leafs to bring in Bonino based on what they already have on their roster.
At this point, his game doesn’t differentiate him enough from their current players to be a top target, but his off-ice experience could help a team that continues to look to get over the hump in the playoffs. Bonino is a possibility, but an unlikely target at this point.
Matt Roy
The last potential target the Maple Leafs could have is on the back end — Kings defenceman Matt Roy. As we’ve established, the Maple Leafs have been looking for additions to better their blue line and Roy could be an undervalued asset.
The 28-year-old is a seventh-round pick of the Kings back in 2015. He debuted during the 2018-19 season and since has shown some offensive upside to his game and that he can eat up minutes on the back end.
He’s coming off his best offensive season in 2022-23 where he put up nine goals and 26 points in 82 games and he’s on pace to match that this season with 13 points in the team’s first 43 games.
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What makes Roy a more interesting option is that he’s a pending unrestricted free agent as his three-year deal expires at the end of the 2023-24 season. As of now, there are no move restrictions on his contract and it carries an AAV of $3.15 million.
Sure, the Maple Leafs would have some finagling to do as it pertains to their cap space, but the addition of Roy in their bottom two pairings could level out the team’s back end.
While some might look at these options and see them as unrealistic targets, those around the hockey world still aren’t as familiar with how Brad Treliving is looking to shape the Maple Leafs’ roster moving forward. With that said, anything is possible and it starts with making note of where team representatives end up on a game-to-game basis.
