Blade of Steel has no direct affiliation to the Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL or NHLPA
Toronto Maple Leafs Linked to Steven Stamkos As Abysmal Start to the Season Continues
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs need a superstar next to Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, and it just so happens that Steven Stamkos could become available.
Steven Stamkos has consistently been one of the best scorers in the entire NHL over the past decade or so. However, his time with the Nashville Predators has been less than productive.
Last season, he had a slow start and only managed 27 goals. Meanwhile, he only has one goal in the first 12 games this season. He also only has one assist.
There have been rumblings that Stamkos could want out of Nashville, especially as that team continues to struggle to generate any offense.
As for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they are also off to a slow start and are in desperate need of a top-six forward that can be paired with Auston Matthews.
Steven Stamkos is an option for the Maple Leafs
According to Adam Proteau of The Hockey News, the Toronto Maple Leafs are well-positioned to get Steven Stamkos on their team.
While it would cost some assets and some salary cap structuring, the Leafs could certainly use a guy who has scored 60 goals before.
Per Adam Proteau:
Stamkos might very well envision a first line of himself, Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies as the best possible environment for him in his later NHL years.
The main issues here are cap space and what assets the Leafs have that Nashville would want.
Right now, the Leafs have virtually no cap space. If they were to try to acquire Stamkos this season, they would almost certainly need to convince Nashville to retain $4.25 million of his salary for the rest of his contract, despite the Predators wanting to return to the playoffs as soon as possible.
The main issues here are cap space and what assets the Leafs have that Nashville would want.
Right now, the Leafs have virtually no cap space. If they were to try to acquire Stamkos this season, they would almost certainly need to convince Nashville to retain $4.25 million of his salary for the rest of his contract, despite the Predators wanting to return to the playoffs as soon as possible.
If the Predators continue to struggle, Stamkos on the Leafs may not be that much of a stretch, even if the fans think it is preposterous.
However, this is definitely wishful thinking for the time being. At the end of the day, fans are just going to have to wait and see here.
Regardless, Brad Treliving is working on a trade, and it should be interesting to see who the team sacrifices in this pursuit of a top player.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 31 | 311 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs Linked to Steven Stamkos As Abysmal Start to the Season Continues Do you believe the Toronto Maple Leafs could end up with Steven Stamkos? | ||
| YES | 97 | 31.2 % |
| NO | 214 | 68.8 % |
| List of polls | ||