The Toronto Maple Leafs have yet to re-sign Rasmus Sandin, which means a trade could happen any day now. Trading Rasmus Sandin would be a terrible decision for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it may be their best option. This isn't the first time we've seen a Leafs player take their time in re-signing with the Leafs. Over the past few years, big-name's such as William Nylander and Mitch Marner have taken their sweet time to re-sign, and now both contracts look team-friendly. Say what you want about Marner's near $11M deal, but it's an underrated contract. Marner has been the best right-winger in the NHL for the past two seasons so he deserves every dollar he's making. If the two sides can't come to an agreement before training camp, it may make more sense to trade the youngster.
Hypothetical Trade #1
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Jakob Chychrun
Arizona Coyotes acquire: Rasmus Sandin, Alex Steeves, 2023 1st Round Pick, 2024 2nd Round Pick
If you could trade for a 24-year-old puck-moving defenseman, who’s scored 18 goals in a season before, you’d at least try, right? What if that same player only made $4.6M and is under contract for the next three seasons? Yeah, you’d run to the phone and call the Arizona Coyotes immediately and try to trade for Jakob Chychrun. If Kyle Dubas isn’t doing everything he can to acquire him, then he’s making a huge mistake. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Chychrun not only has size, but he has a ton of potential to improve. He’s had some injury concerns over his career thus far, but if he can stay healthy, he can eventually be a top-pairing NHL defenseman. The Coyotes are terrible and will continue to be bad for a few years. Obviously, a young defenseman like Chychrun helps the rebuild, but a younger and less experienced player in Sandin may work just as well for them. Toronto would really benefit by going all-in by trading for Chychrun.
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Hypothetical Trade: #2
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Adam Larsson
Seattle Kraken acquire: Rasmus Sandin
The 29-year-old has a no-trade-clause, so he'd have to agree to it, but if he was looking to win, a Larsson for Sandin trade could work. At the same time, Sandin only has 88 games of experience, so who are we to know he'll be a top-four defenseman for the next decade, guaranteed? Larsson, on the other hand, has 685 games of NHL experience and has shown his capabilities as a defensive top-four defenseman. Adding Larsson could help push TJ Brodie to the left side and push Jake Muzzin out the door, which could help the overall group, or it could instead initiate a Justin Holl trade, which wouldn't be a terrible idea. Either way, trading for Larsson would give the Leafs another player with cap security and would help solve a hole if Sandin is unwilling to re-sign.
Hypothetical Trade #3
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Damon Severson
New Jersey Devils acquire: Rasmus Sandin, Nick Abruzzese, 2024 2nd Round Pick
They might want to transfer Severson in order to acquire an asset before he leaves for nothing since he is a UFA soon. A 22-year-old defenceman with top-four potential is the ideal asset to receive in exchange. Severson's availability would only be guaranteed for one year as a result of the Sandin for Severson trade, but when you're trying to win right away, that's okay. Over the course of his career, the right-handed shooting defenseman has consistently produced points, and at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he is a nice size. There's no doubt that he'd be a steal at just over $4M AAV if he played in Toronto, in a better system, and on a better squad.
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