The Toronto Maple Leafs went through this offseason attempting to replace Mitch Marner’s production with a cast of less-than-impressive names. While there was a clear effort to bolster roster depth, the club’s projected lineup won’t likely scare anyone this upcoming season.
But what if a high-end, top-six forward could become available? If so, the Maple Leafs could consider making a strong push to land that forward. The forward could be Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli.
Fantilli is entering the final year of his entry-level contract. So, he’ll need a new contract for next season and beyond. The 20-year-old has been eligible to sign an extension since July 1, but none has been forthcoming.
So, that opens the possibility for the Blue Jackets to explore a trade if Fantilli is reluctant to re-up in Columbus. In such a scenario, the Blue Jackets could be willing to make a trade, hoping to get another high-end player in return.
Here’s what this bold trade pitch could look like:
Maple Leafs get:
Adam Fantilli, F
Blue Jackets get:
Easton Cowan, F
The Maple Leafs would deal their top prospect, who has yet to prove himself in the NHL, for a budding star. Fantilli’s ceiling at this point has him as a solid top-six center. While he could emerge as a top-liner in Columbus, he would be a tremendous second-liner behind Auston Matthews.
Sure, the loss of Easton Cowan would sting for the Maple Leafs. But getting Fantilli could be a move the Leafs should not overlook.
Fantilli Would Provide Maple Leafs with Flexibility
Adam Fantilli would provide the Toronto Maple Leafs with something highly valuable: Flexibility. Adding Fantilli means Toronto would no longer have to rely on John Tavares to be the team’s second-line center.
If anything, the Maple Leafs could deploy Fantilli as a second-line winger while he acclimates to the team. Then, the Leafs could move Fantilli into the 2C role, especially if Tavares begins to decline.
Down the road, the Leafs could deploy a Matthews-Fantilli 1-2 punch down the middle with potentially Tavares sliding down into the 3C role and Nic Roy into the 4C spot. Furthermore, the Leafs would not have to worry about using Scott Laughton as the 4C. Laughton could move to the wing on the third unit, adding a little more punch to the third unit.
Toronto Wouldn’t Have Trouble Fitting Fantilli Under Cap
Fantilli’s cap hit this season is $950K. That’s something perfectly manageable for this season. Moving forward, it wouldn’t matter if the Maple Leafs inked Fantilli to a short-term deal in the $6 to $7 million range. The club will have contracts coming off the books next summer. Plus, the cap ceiling with jump by nearly $10 million.
As such, the Leafs could take a big swing at landing a high-end prospect who could serve as a sort of on-the-fly retool. The Maple Leafs could be foolish to pass up on the opportunity to add a player like Adam Fantilli if he became available.
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