The Toronto Maple Leafs need to add some more offense to their lineup after seeing Mitch Marner leave this offseason.
Heavy.com has a trade idea that sees the Maple Leafs acquiring Ivan Barbashev from the Vegas Golden Knights in an intriguing deal.
Maple Leafs acquire:
Golden Knights acquire:
The proposed deal would be an intriguing one as Toronto would acquire a top-six winger in Barbashev to take over the second-line left winger role. Vegas, meanwhile, gets a middle-six forward who can score as well as an offensive defenseman who can help fill the void of Alex Pietrangelo.
Toronto would acquire Barbashev, who’s entering the third year of his five-year, $25 million deal. The Russian would be the Maple Leafs’ second-line left winger and add some secondary scoring to the lineup, but he also adds some physicality to the lineup. Barbashev recorded 23 goals and 28 assists for 51 points in 70 games last season.
In return, the Maple Leafs would give up McMann, who would replace Barbashev in the lineup. McMann is entering the final year of his two-year, $2.7 million deal. He recorded 20 goals and 14 assists for 34 points in 74 games. However, he did struggle down the stretch and could be a trade candidate.
Toronto would also deal Rielly, who would replace Pietrangelo in the Golden Knights’ defense. Rielly has five years left on his eight-year, $60 million deal. Although Rielly doesn’t want to waive his no-movement clause, getting to play for a legit Cup contender in Vegas could entice him. He would also be an impact defenseman for the Golden Knights, who need to replace Pietrangelo.
Barbashev a Worthy Trade Target for Maple Leafs
Toronto has done a good job making its roster tougher to play against. But one area of need is adding more offense to replace Marner.
Barbashev would fill both needs as he can score, but he is also a pest to play against, especially in the playoffs. It would be killing two birds with one stone, and his name has come up in trade rumors this summer, according to insider Nick Kypreos.
“Ivan Barbashev is considered one of their most movable pieces, a 23-goal, 51-point scorer this season who’s making $5 million against the salary cap for another three years,” Kypreos wrote. “The 29-year-old would be an interesting target for teams that are looking to bolster their offence, such as Ottawa or Carolina. Barbashev does have an eight-team no-trade list.”
Barbashev would be the top-six winger that the Maple Leafs are looking for, and would be a fan-favorite for Craig Berube. He played under Berube with the St. Louis Blues and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2019, while also winning the Cup with Vegas in 2023.
Rielly Wants to Remain With Maple Leafs
A possible hitch in this potential trade is Rielly not waiving his no-movement clause.
As his name has come up in trade rumors, Rielly said he isn’t thinking about it and wants to remain in Toronto.
“That’s not what I’m thinking about right now,” Rielly said at locker cleanout day on May 20… “There’s always change. Every summer, every offseason is different. As a player, I think sometimes it’s best not to speculate on what may or may not happen. For us, individually for me, you want to focus on what you can do to come back better.”
Rielly has spent his entire career with the Maple Leafs.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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