The Toronto Maple Leafs had a quiet trade deadline this season and didn’t make a huge move to bring in a superstar this season. They did add some depth pieces in Connor Dewar, Joel Edmundson, and Ilya Lyubushkin to bolster their lineup heading down the stretch this season. Still, they didn’t add any pieces that will move the needle in a way that makes them Stanley Cup favorites heading toward the postseason. The Vegas Golden Knights were the unofficial winners of the 2024 Trade Deadline, bringing in Anthony Mantha and Noah Hanifin, but they shocked the hockey world by pulling off a deal with the San Jose Sharks to bring in superstar forward Tomas Hertl.
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In the trade, the Sharks acquired a 2025 first-round pick and David Edstrom in exchange for Hertl with 17% retained, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick. While the Maple Leafs were tight with cap space this season and had to be smart with their money, the lack of a return for a player of Hertl’s caliber should be enough to say the Maple Leafs should have tried to make something work. With the retention in mind, the Golden Knights took on $6.75 million of Hertl’s deal for the next six seasons. The Maple Leafs could have tried to pull something realistic off with the Sharks. TJ Brodie and Tyler Bertuzzi make at least $5 million and could have been included to make a deal work, and while it would have been tough, they should have tried.
Understandably, you could argue that he wouldn’t have waived his no-movement clause and could have halted a trade with the Maple Leafs. However, if he was willing to leave the Sharks to join a contender, the Maple Leafs should have at least tried to make something happen. After their incredible trade deadline, the Golden Knights have now become the favorites heading into the postseason, and the Maple Leafs find themselves falling behind.
Who Is Hertl & What Could a Trade Have Looked Like?
Hertl is a 30-year-old left-shot forward from Praha, Czechia, who stands 6-foot-3, 214 pounds. He was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Sharks at 17th overall after a strong season in Czechia with HC Slavia Praha. During 38 games in his draft year, he scored 12 goals and added 13 assists for 25 points. In the same season, he represented his home country of Czechia at the U20 World Junior Championship, where he scored three goals and added two assists for five points. In the 2012-13 season, he returned to Czechia with Slavia Praha, where he scored 18 goals and added 12 assists for 30 points in 43 games.
Hertl made the Sharks roster in the 2013-14 season, where he scored 15 goals and added 10 assists for 25 points through 37 games in his rookie campaign. He followed it up with a full 82-game campaign, where he scored 13 goals and added 18 assists for 31 points. Since then, he has been a consistent offensive producer with the Sharks and has proven useful in many different scenarios. Throughout his career, he has scored 218 goals and added 266 assists for 484 points through 712 games, which has resulted in a 0.68 points-per-game average.
This season with the Sharks, he scored 15 goals and added 19 assists for 34 points through 48 games before the trade to the Golden Knights, placing him second in scoring. He will join a Golden Knights team headed for the playoffs as their new second-line centreman and look to become a long-term fit with his new team.
Assuming the Sharks were willing to retain the 17% regardless and drop Hertl’s cap hit to $6.75 million, the Maple Leafs could have made a massive deal work. If they wanted to outbid the Golden Knights, the Maple Leafs should have offered Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Reaves, Nick Robertson, and their 2024 first-round pick for Hertl. This deal should have been more than enough to bring Hertl to the Maple Leafs, assuming he would be willing to waive his no-movement clause for a contending team, and it could have turned the Maple Leafs into a scary contender.
Unfortunately, they did not try to make a move like this. The additions they made should definitely help their depth heading into the postseason, but there is still some concern that this team isn’t strong enough to make a deep run into the playoffs. Hopefully, I am wrong, and the team’s additions will be enough to help them build momentum and make a push for their first Stanley Cup since 1967.
Maple Leafs Have Nice Break After Saturday’s Game
The Maple Leafs take on the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday (March 9) in an Original Six matchup, and then the team has a five-day break and doesn’t play until Thursday (March 14) against the Philadelphia Flyers. They hope to build some momentum down the stretch as they continue climbing their way up the standings. Right now, the Maple Leafs sit third in the Atlantic Division with 80 points and would face the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs if the season ended today. Let’s hope they can continue to climb their way up the standings and earn home-ice advantage in the first round because any advantage helps a team in the postseason, and the Maple Leafs are hoping their postseason bad luck ends this season.
