The Toronto Maple Leafs are putting the NHL on notice with some exciting moves ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.
After acquiring Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues, Kyle Dubas was busy on Monday, acquiring defenseman Jake McCabe and forward Sam Lafferty from the Chicago Blackhawks.
These additions immediately improve the Maple Leafs lineup, but the club still needs to prove that they can get it done in the playoffs.
Let’s look at the Toronto Maple Leafs’ current Stanley Cup odds on the FanDuel Sportsbook and determine if there’s value in their price.
Maple Leafs Going All In Over Next Two SeasonsAn admirable quality about the moves the Maple Leafs’ brass has made is they’ve acquired players with term. McCabe and Lafferty will be around beyond this season. In addition, the Maple Leafs haven’t touched any of their near NHL-ready prospects, which should help them manage the salary cap moving forward. The message is clear from general manager Kyle Dubas, the time to win is now, and the Maple Leafs have put their chips in the middle of the table.
This is an interesting year for the Maple Leafs to make their most significant moves. The Eastern Conference is a gauntlet of the NHL’s best teams this season. In all likelihood, Toronto will have to go through the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1 and face another of the league’s best teams in the next round. Whether that’s the Boston Bruins remains to be seen, but the Leafs have their work cut out for them, especially considering they haven’t found playoff success in nearly two decades. Still, you can make a case that the Leafs have the pieces needed to make the difference. Toronto lacked grit, but these trades add depth scoring, and toughness on the blue line.
Despite a lack of playoff success, Toronto could finish as a top-three team in points and are likely being undervalued. The task is daunting, but the Maple Leafs have value at +950 to win the Stanley Cup.
