Kyle Dubas Details Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Plans

Kyle Dubas had an interesting conversation with the Toronto media on Sunday and shared a number of ideas and plans the Toronto Maple Leafs might be considering as the hockey club approaches the NHL trade deadline on March 21. After sending Kyle Clifford and Nick Ritchie to the AHL (no more taxi squads), it’s clear the GM is trying to clear some cap space to make a move or two. What moves is he considering?

Related: Why the Maple Leafs Will Sign Josh Ho-Sang to an NHL Contract Soon

The GM said he’d like to see his actual team all healthy before he makes any major decisions. Noting that might be wishful thinking he notes his hockey club has never had a stretch where the roster as constructed has gotten to play together. Before he spends valuable assets, he wants to see what the team can do. When it comes to his young defensemen, he wants to give them a bit more time to prove they have what it takes for a strong playoff run. When it comes to someone like Jake Muzzin — who has been injured and not having a great season — Dubas said, “The one thing about Jake Muzzin is that, especially when people start to count him out, or people think that he looks like he’s starting to fade, he’s very competitive and he has a lot of pride and he’s able to find his way back.”

From there, if he determines that additions need to be made, He did admit, “We probably don’t have a whole lot of bullets in the chamber here … when you go out and acquire somebody you’re probably done at that point.” In other words, he’ll have to be careful with the trade he does make because it could be the only one he can afford to make.

Dubas noted, “My preference is to acquire players with term and with as much time as possible” and he wouldn’t commit to offering Josh Ho-Sang an NHL contract because the team doesn’t have the luxury of just signing players. They have to be aware of how many contracts they have on the books ( they currently only have two contracts left to use.)

Dubas and the Maple Leafs Are Going For It

The one thing he did acknowledge was that his team is in a dog fight with the Atlantic Division and can’t afford to sit back. If the team as constructed and fully healthy is looking like it needs help, Dubas is going for it and might be willing to move a high-end prospect to get the player they want or feel they need. “We’re in a mode now where we’re trying to win. So if we have to deal from that pool to do something that we think can help us, great.”

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