The Toronto Maple Leafs have a few issues to iron out. After Anthony Stolarz called out his team (and William Nylander), it’s time for the organization to give him reinforcements. Joseph Woll is taking a leave for an undetermined amount of time. The team has Cayden Primeau for now, but can he take a load off Stolarz before Woll returns?
Heavy.com has proposed a trade that deals with this issue. This deal sees the Maple Leafs add Arvid Soderblom from the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks have over $14 million in salary cap space.
Maple Leafs Acquire:
- Arvid Soderblom ($2.75 million)
Blackhawks Acquire:
- Cayden Primeau ($775,000)
- Nick Robertson ($1.82 million)
- William Villeneuve ($775,000) (total: $3.375 million)
This is a massive trade for the Maple Leafs because they add a goaltender to their team who can help shoulder the burden of starts. In return, the Blackhawks get a solid backup, a forward with top-six potential, and a solid defense prospect.
This proposal has the Maple Leafs adding Soderblom. The 6-foot-3, 180 lb undrafted goaltender played in 36 games last season. He recorded 10 wins, a 3.18 goals against average (GAA), and an .898 save percentage (SV%). The 26-year-old has played two games this year, posting a 3.46 GAA and an .881 SV%.
Players Going to the Blackhawks in This Proposal
In return, the Blackhawks add goalie Primeau. The 6-foot-3, 205 lb goaltender was initially a seventh-round draft pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 2017. Last year, he recorded 21 wins, a 1.96 GAA, a .927 SV%, and two shutouts in 26 AHL games.
They would also acquire Nick Robertson. The 5-foot-9, 180 lb, 24-year-old forward recorded 15 goals in 69 games last year. This season, he has one assist in six games while averaging 11:17 per game.
Finally, the Blackhawks would also add defense prospect William Villeneuve. The 6-foot-2, 183 lb right-handed defender recorded 40 points in 55 games last season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. This year, he has three points in four games.
Arvid Soderblom Could Be Expendable Because of New Acquisition
GettyDo the Blackhawks have the goalie to help the Maple Leafs bear the weight of Joseph Woll’s absence?
It’s early in the new season, but the Blackhawks are off to a great start. After seven games, they are in the top Wild Card position in the Western Conference, with a 3-2-2 record to boot.
One of the biggest reasons for this start is the red-hot play of goaltender Spencer Knight.
In five games played, Knight has two wins, a 1.96 GAA, and a .937 SV%. According to MoneyPuck, he is first in the NHL with an 8.7 Goals Saved Above Expected.
With Knight playing this well, it’s easy to see how he may start 50-60 games for the Blackhawks. That leaves Soderblom as a potential option for another team to come in and scoop up.
Primeau isn’t on the same level as Soderblom, but the Blackhawks also have Laurent Brossoit recovering from injury. The combination of Primeau and Brossoit should more than cover for losing Soderblom.
Joseph Woll’s Return Remains Unknown
On October 10th, Sportsnet’s Luke Fox reported that Woll’s gear remains untouched in the Maple Leafs locker room. This suggests that Woll won’t swoop in to offer his goaltending services anytime soon.
When a player is on injured reserve, they can still practice with the team and skate on their own. At the moment, there is no evidence that Woll is taking place in any skates.
That being said, Primeau is not the answer to help ease the burden placed on Stolarz.
Soderblom has 88 games of NHL experience under his belt. That already positions him to be a better goalie to work in tandem with Stolarz.
Once Woll returns, another decision will need to be made. Given his injury history, trading Woll could be in the best interest of the team. With his injury history (and Stolarz’s injury history), acquiring another goalie and then trading Woll for a top-six forward upgrade seems like the best course of action to pursue.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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