The Toronto Maple Leafs will be buyers ahead of the playoffs and one trade pitch has them acquiring a solid defenseman.
The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquiring Mikey Anderson from the Los Angeles Kings.
Maple Leafs acquire:
Mikey Anderson
2026 sixth-round pick
Kings acquire:
Matt Benning
Fraser Minten
Nikita Grebenkin
The proposed deal is an intriguing one as the Maple Leafs solidify its blue line even more. Los Angeles, meanwhile, gets an NHL defenseman and two young forwards, but whether or not they would deal Anderson is uncertain.
Anderson is in the second year of an eight-year $33 million deal. The defenseman would be a second-pairing for the Maple Leafs and could add some offense to the blue line. Anderson has recorded 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points in 21 games.
In return, the Maple Leafs would deal Benning who they acquired from the San Jose Sharks earlier this season. Benning is in the third year of his four-year $5 million deal and would replace Anderson on the blue line.
Minten, meanwhile, is one of the Leafs’ top prospects. The forward projects to be a middle-six centerman in the NHL. Minten has skated in 5 games in his NHL career recording 1 goal.
Grebenkin, meanwhile, is another forward prospect who made his NHL debut earlier in November. The Russian is a bottom-six forward who can add some physicality and energy to the lineup.
Maple Leafs Will Look to Trade Benning
Toronto acquired Benning in the Timothy Liljegren trade, and the Maple Leafs could look to trade him.
Benning is an NHL defenseman, but Toronto doesn’t have room for him, so NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said the Maple Leafs are looking to flip him.
“I think it’s very possible that the Leafs will try to flip Benning,” Friedman said on 32 Thoughts. “Right now, with their full roster, somebody is going to have to get moved.”
Friedman then doubled down on his report during a broadcast confirming that Toronto wants to do right by Benning and move him to a team he will play.
“They have roster crunches they are going to have to deal with when everyone gets healthy,” Friedman said. “They have let it be known that they want to do right by Benning. He’s a guy who is an NHL player. He’s more than capable of playing on a roster. They are trying to do what’s best for him. Teams know he’s available.”
Benning has skated in 464 games in his NHL career recording 17 goals and 85 assists for 102 points.
Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews Could Return Soon
Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has missed the last 8 games due to an injury.
The injury is not known, but Matthews went to Germany for treatment. The star forward returned to practice on Saturday and he said he hopes he can return on November 27.
“Today was a good day to get back on the ice,” Matthews said. “It’s been probably over a week since I’ve been on the ice, so we will take day-to-day, continue to try to progress in the ice and see how this week looks and feels. Obviously, I want to get out there. Wednesday (is) possible, but we will just see how the week goes.”
Matthews hasn’t played since November 3.
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Trade Proposal Has Maple Leafs Acquiring $33 Million Defenseman appeared first on Heavy.com.