Do the Maple Leafs Regret Not Trading for Brandon Hagel?

If the NHL handed out the Conn Smythe Trophy five days into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it would be hard not to make the case for Brandon Hagel to win the award.

---

Three goals, one assist, a knockout blow in a fight with the much bigger Juraj Slafkovsky, while being a constant spark plug firing up the Benchmark International Arena crowd through the first two games of the series — Hagel has put it all on display for the hockey world to see so far. As a result, his electric play has several other organizations, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, wondering what could have been had they been the ones that landed him back in 2022.

Former Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas had reportedly been exploring a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire Hagel and Marc-Andre Fleury for Petr Mrazek, Matthew Knies, and draft picks. Toronto ultimately backed out because of the asking price, allowing the Tampa Bay Lightning to swoop in and acquire the player who has since become the heart and soul of the team. That has recently led to some of Leafs Nation starting to look back on the decision with regret.

Nick Alberga wrote:

“It would’ve cost Matthew Knies – who I love – but I would be lying if I said I haven’t thought about the idea of what Brandon Hagel would’ve looked like as a Maple Leaf,”

Another fan wrote:

“Hagel is the exact kind of player you need in the playoffs. Leafs haven’t had this since Kadri,”

The 27-year-old Hagel is coming off another productive season in Tampa Bay, having tallied 74 points (36 goals, 38 assists) in just 71 games played.

Not wanting to part with Knies is understandable, and he still has quite a bit of untapped potential as a 23-year-old power forward coming off a 66-point season. That being said, Hagel has emerged as a legitimate star in the league since joining the Lightning, and the thought of his skill set and personality on a Maple Leafs team that desperately lacks both, all of a sudden, has to sting.

Toronto will have to hope that Knies sees what Hagel and even Slafkovsky are doing in these playoffs and puts it on himself to play and make an impact like that every night, because he does have the ability to do it.

Next: Would Gavin McKenna Immediately Help Turn Around the Maple Leafs?