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Maple Leafs Have 3 Good Trade Options to Fix Forward Lines

Noel Acciari St. Louis Blues

The Toronto Maple Leafs are near the top of the standings and there are only 43 days before the NHL trade deadline. As a result, they will be looking to add another player or two to strengthen their top nine. It has been known that the team has had difficulty in the playoffs in the past, and as a result, their targets should differ from previous deadlines. Riley Nash and Colin Blackwell were acquired in back-to-back seasons, and both played bottom-six minutes, which didn’t have as much of an impact on the team as, say, a top-nine forward would have.

Kyle Dubas and the Maple Leafs’ brass would be smart to consider one or two top-nine forwards who can be acquired for a low cost but offer a greater return in the final stretch and throughout the postseason. A few teams outside the playoff picture might be sellers before the deadline to obtain picks or long-term prospects. Although the Maple Leafs don’t have a ton of picks, they still have mid-tier prospects that could help facilitate a deal.

Noel Acciari

The Maple Leafs appear to perform best with defensively-minded players in their bottom six. One player who comes to mind is David Kampf. They signed him due to his defensive skills, and since then, he has developed into a key member of the club. The same can be said for Noel Acciari, who plays with a defence-first mentality and would be used by the team to help close out games in the playoffs. He is a player who should be on their list of targets, because of the St. Louis Blues’ position in the standings. They have struggled throughout the season, and things don’t appear to be moving in the right direction, so they would be a good match to try and acquire a player or two from.

Noel Acciari, St. Louis Blues (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Acciari joined the Blues this past summer, agreeing to a one-year, $1.25 million contract with no bonuses. His cheap asking price might make him a highly sought-after player at this year’s trade deadline. The Blues shouldn’t be considered a full-fledged seller, despite the way their season has gone, since they have the players to compete for the foreseeable future. They might part with some of their depth pieces to make room for younger players they see as essential to their long-term success, which would lower the cost of Acciari for the Leafs.

Related: Maple Leafs & Blues Could Produce Deadline Blockbuster


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