Maple Leafs’ Giordano Providing Immense Value to Playoff Run

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to take care of business. After dispatching the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 on Wednesday night, they sit fourth in the NHL standings with 27 games to go.

Auston Matthews returned to the lineup and scored in the first period. William Nylander once again is a 30-goal scorer. Ilya Samsonov continued his dominance at Scotiabank Arena. Wednesday was a good night overall.

Now the focus shifts to what will GM Kyle Dubas and the Maple Leafs do leading up to the Mar 3 trade deadline. Do they add a defenseman? Who do they turn to for help up front? Their approach seems to be the $1 million question these days.

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But lost in that big storyline is a player who continues to exceed expectations on the ice. His role has taken on greater importance since the unfortunate injury to Jake Muzzin. His value has extended off the ice too.

Mark Giordano is proving to be one of the best moves of the Dubas’ era with the Maple Leafs.

Quick Trade Recap

The Maple Leafs were in a similar position last season at the deadline. They had questions on their roster. They were pressed against the salary cap. They needed a player who could help them in the playoffs. They also hoped that player would stay with them in future seasons.

Giordano was in the last year of his six-year contract with the Calgary Flames. The Maple Leafs traded two second rounders and a third rounder to the Seattle Kraken for Giordano and Colin Blackwell. While Blackwell is now with the Blackhawks, Giordano is thriving with his hometown team.

It was easy to see why the Maple Leafs targeted Giordano. He had over 1,000 games in the NHL. He enjoyed recent playoff experience with the Calgary Flames. On a team hoping to take the next step toward a deep playoff run, adding him to this group would make them better.

Although the Maple Leafs got bounced in seven games by the Lightning, Giordano played his role well. He played a steady game and chipped in a pair of assists while averaging over 19 minutes per night. He played well enough that the Maple Leafs hoped he would consider staying.

Bargain Extension

Thanks in part to being home, Giordano elected to take the hometown discount. He signed a two-year extension to stay with the Maple Leafs at an average annual value of $800,000. It was a win-win for both sides.

For Giordano, he got to play with his hometown team while knowing their main goal was…