The Toronto Maple Leafs just lost defenceman Morgan Rielly for at least the next ten games. This was not welcome news: Over the last few weeks the Leafs have also lost TJ Brodie from their blue line and Ilya Samsonov from their crease. On the other hand, fans were seeing their team get on a roll with Matt Murray recovering and the team racking up at least one point in nine out of their last ten games, as of 22 November 2022. This seemed like significant progress after a slow start to the season.
However, with the three highest-paid defencemen on the Leafs out with an injury, the team will now have to rely on the young talent of Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren, and the veteran mentorship of Mark Giordano. That sounds scary.
So what can the Leafs do? I wouldn’t hit the panic button just yet. The team has seen similar stretches in the past where they have missed the services of both Rielly and Muzzin for prolonged periods of time. This results in more pressure on the offence to score goals and the goaltenders to bail out the inexperienced defencemen in front.
However, if the team starts struggling, it may be time for Kyle Dubas to hit the trade market. Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks has recently hit the market and would be a great addition to the right side of any young defenceman. The hope would be that he would make an immediate and significant impact, while providing valuable mentorship to the young D-core. The price to pay would be hefty, and it would easily mean moving a top nine forward such as Alex Kerfoot, along with a package of draft picks. What would make this decision even harder is the fact that Erik Karlsson did not have the hottest start to his career in San Jose after he was traded from the Ottawa Senators. Karlsson went from one of the elites in the league, to someone who couldn’t crack any more all-star teams. Although he has gotten his groove back this year, an abysmal start with the Leafs would deepen the wound to the D-core even further.
As a result, the next few weeks will be a difficult test for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can they band together and push through the injuries, or will Dubas have to make a splash in the trade market and give up part of our future to maintain the last few weeks of success?