The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to be one of the top teams in the NHL again and should be buyers ahead of the trade deadline again.
The Maple Leafs have been aggressive buyers for years, especially under Brad Treliving. Currently, as Toronto’s roster is constructed, the Maple Leafs should look to add more talent to their roster.
NHL analyst Jeremy Tingly of NHLTradeRumors links the Maple Leafs to trading for a reunion with Mason Marchment of the Seattle Kraken, if Seattle is sellers at the deadline.
“We’ll see how long the Marchment experiment lasts in Seattle. The Dallas Stars dumped his salary onto the Kraken as they had their own internal business to take care of, and Marchment should play a much bigger role in Seattle this season,” Tingly wrote. “This could increase his trade value in a major way ahead of the deadline, and as a pending unrestricted free agent, who plays a pesky playoff style, there will be no shortage of interest, including from the Toronto Maple Leafs.”
Seattle acquired Marchment this offseason as the Dallas Stars were looking to clear some cap space. Given that the Kraken didn’t give up much to get Marchment, if Seattle is out of the playoff picture, trading him at the deadline could make sense.
Marchment is in the final year of his four-year, $18 million deal. He recorded 22 goals and 25 assists for 47 points in 62 games last season. He played four games for the Maple Leafs in 2019-20.
Maple Leafs Had Interest in Marchment
With the Stars needing to clear cap space this offseason, Marchment was available for a trade.
Ultimately, Dallas traded him to the Kraken. But, before the deal went down, the Maple Leafs had an interest in Marchment, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.
“The Maple Leafs wanted Mason Marchment, and were disappointed not to get him,” Friedman wrote. “Toronto wild-card: to replace Marner, could they move a defenceman to get a forward?… The Marchment trade is not the last we’ve heard of Seattle. Definitely active.”
Ultimately, Dallas wanted to do good by Marchment and trade him to another no-tax state, so Toronto wasn’t even in the running.
Maple Leafs Gave up on Marchment
Marchment was an undrafted player as he didn’t play major junior until he was 19. But he impressed enough to get an entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs.
The 6-foot-5 forward made his NHL debut on January 2, 2020, and he ended up skating in 4 games that season. However, he was traded on February 19 to the Florida Panthers for forward Dennis Malgin.
Malgin ended up skating in 8 games, recording 0 points for the Maple Leafs, and returned to Europe. With Florida, Marchment became a full-time NHL player and parlayed that into the multi-year deal with the Stars.
Toronto gave up on Marchment way too soon, but perhaps the Maple Leafs will look to re-acquire him.
How Would Marchment Fit With The Maple Leafs?
If the Maple Leafs do re-acquire Marchment at the trade deadline, he’d give Toronto so much-needed secondary scoring to the lineup.
Marchment could be Toronto’s second-line left winger, which is a clear need for the team. Currently, Bobby McMann projects as the second-line left winger, but he didn’t record a goal in the playoffs.
Marchment has performed in the playoffs and also adds size and physicality to the lineup, and would make Toronto that much better.
But, the only way Toronto will have the chance to re-acquire him is if the Kraken are outside of a playoff spot.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Maple Leafs Linked to Reunion With 22-Goal Scorer as Potential Deadline Add appeared first on Heavy Sports.