The Toronto Maple Leafs have a need in the top-six, and the Maple Leafs will likely have to address it in the trade market now.
Heavy.com has a trade idea that sees the Maple Leafs acquiring Alexander Wennberg from the San Jose Sharks in a necessary move.
Maple Leafs acquire:
Sharks acquire:
- Nick Robertson
- David Kampf
- 2028 third-round pick
Toronto would acquire Wennberg, who can fill the need for a second-line left winger, while San Jose gets a young NHL forward and also gets a third-round pick to take on Kampf’s contract.
The Maple Leafs would add Wennberg, who can play center but would slot into the second-line left winger role. He’s entering the final year of his two-year, $10 million deal. The 30-year-old was selected 14th overall in 2013 but has become more of a middle-six player in the NHL. Wennberg would add some secondary scoring to the lineup as he recorded 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points in 77 games last season. His career high is 17 goals.
A big part of the return for the Sharks would be Robertson. Robertson is 23 but has been in-and-out of the Maple Leafs’ lineup, which is why he could be on the move. He’s on a one-year deal and would replace Wennberg in the lineup. He recorded 15 goals and 7 assists for 22 points in 69 games.
San Jose would also take on Kampf’s deal, which is why the Sharks get a third-rounder as well. Kampf has two years left on his four-year, $9.6 million deal and would be San Jose’s fourth-line center. He recorded 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points in 59 games last season.
Wennberg is a Solid Trade Target for Maple Leafs
Toronto has gone all-in over the last couple of trade deadlines, which has led them not having many assets.
The Maple Leafs don’t have a first-round pick until 2028 and only have a third, fifth, and sixth-round pick in this year’s draft. With that, Toronto will likely try and acquire cheaper options who could be worth the gamble, and Wennberg fits the bill.
Wennberg could replace Bobby McMann as the second-line left winger or play on the third line. But, he’s a better fit than Robertson and can add some secondary scoring to the lineup.
Meanwhile, he’s played in 58 career playoff games, so he knows what it takes to play in the postseason. He is also a playmaker, so he could play with John Tavares and William Nylander and help set them up.
Maple Leafs Could Trade Robertson
Robertson requested a trade last offseason, but he wasn’t dealt.
However, this past year was much of the same, as Robertson was a scratch, especially in the playoffs. With that, his name has come up in trade rumors, and NHL insider Elliotte Friedman expects him to be traded.
“I’m assuming things are going to heat up later in the summer at some point, in all these particular situations,” Friedman revealed about trade talks involving the Penguins. “I had some people ask me about the possibility of Nick Robertson and Pittsburgh. Obviously, Kyle Dubas knows him. They got the arbitration settled on Saturday at $1.825 million. They’ve got to clear some bodies there, they’ve got a lot of them.”
Given that Robertson is young and has shown he can score, several teams should be interested in him.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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