Red Wings: Exploring a trade with rival Toronto Maple Leafs

The Detroit Red Wings need to make some moves at the 2019-20 trade deadline, and the rival Toronto Maple Leafs may be the perfect suitor after being struck with even more injuries. If Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman can work something out with Maple Leafs Kyle Dubas, he should pull the trigger.

With the 2019-20 trade deadline inching closer, Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman needs to start identifying which players are going to be moved and who wants to acquire them. One suitor whom Yzerman should get on the phone immediately is Kyle Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs are looking to make a run into the 2019-20 postseason, but injuries have put a damper on that. With a recent injury to defenseman Morgan Rielly who is going to be off the ice for two months with a fractured foot, they could use the defense help.

The Red Wings have two options for the Maple Leafs that could easily suit this need. TSN’s Ray Ferraro said that the Red Wings should look to move Toronto native Trevor Daley to the Maple Leafs in a trade.

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Looking further into this, the Maple Leafs goaltending situation is not great, Frederik Andersen is a solid starter, but Michael Hutchinson has been spotty and is an unrestricted free agent after this season. The Red Wings should explore moving Jonathan Bernier to the Maple Leafs, solving the 2020-21 goaltending gap for Dubas.

Moving into defensemen, the Leafs could look at Daley as Ferraro suggested, but what value is there really in acquiring Daley. Currently, the Maple Leafs are without Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and Trevor Moore.

They’ve recently called one of their top defenseman prospects, Rasmus Sandin, to the NHL squad after they are running short on defense help. Daley has only one assist over twenty-two games played, which is not pretty at all, but he could be a depth addition for the Maple Leafs.

Now Mike Green, on the other hand, could provide a veteran offensive boost for the Maple Leafs who are missing their top offensive defenseman in Rielly. Recently written about at Detroit Jock City, Green is one of the primary candidates to get moved this trade deadline season, and his veteran presence would only help the Maple Leafs blend some veterans with the youthful talent they possess.

Now, Ferraro suggested that the Maple Leafs would send Kasperi Kapanen back to the Red Wings in the trade. In all honesty, if the Red Wings could land Kapanen, they should be willing to part ways with Bernier, Daley, and Green.

If Yzerman could net Kapanen and a draft pick or prospect, it would be more than a “win” for the organization. Now rumors are rumors, and it was something from a TSN analyst just proposing the idea, but if Dubas and Yzerman were able to agree, this would be great for the Red Wings.

Adding in Kapanen, the Red Wings would be able to move Andreas Athanasiou with more ease. The Maple Leafs may become desperate to stay in the race and stay in the playoff picture rather than collapsing due to the injuries to many of their players. If they do reach this point, a trade like this will become more and more likely.

The Maple Leafs would also be able to use this move as a way to clear some cap space so that both sides would benefit from this trade.