The top -six -way trade goals of Maple Leafs: Bryan Rust – The Hockey Writers Toronto Maple Leafs Latest News, Analysis and more

Welcome back to another edition of the “Maple Leafs” Top-Six forward trade objectives “. In the last part I took Chicago Blackhawks forward and former Toronto Maple Leafs Top-Zes attacker, Tyler Bertuzzi. The feedback on the article, however, was that the Maple Leafs should look at someone who brings more talent and skills to the organization, as well as someone who has never been in the team before. That made me think, is there a better trade goal for Toronto than Bryan Rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins?

After having spent some time investigating who could focus the Maple Leafs who is reportedly shopped, there was no better at half time. He is exactly what this team is missing. Managing Director Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube have done excellent work to place their fingerprints over the entire schedule. They are more physical, less finesse and will make it hard for their opponents. But after the Mitch Marner leaves out of season this seasonIt left a huge hole on the upper line next to Matthew Breies and Auston Matthews. That gap can be filled by rust. No, he will not have 70 assists as Marner had, but he can close that line and make the lake a complete 200-foot line that this team was missing.

Related: Maple Leafs’ Top-Zes Forward Trade Goals: Tyler Bertuzzi

As a trio they will still score in bunches. They have one of the best players in the world concentrating it in Matthews, but they will have two Wingers who will do everything to help their team win. They need that ‘dog mentality’ that is similar to what the Florida Panthers have if they want to win. So the next player who should bring Treliving to this organization must be rust and although it will be exceptionally difficult to be done, he must find a way to do it.

Rust is the missing piece on the first line

Rest is someone who was once officially made available by the Penguins, will have at least a dozen teams who calls about the acquisition of him. He is a proven winner and has shown that he can play on the top line of a team with other superstars such as Sidney Crosby. He also does the small things that rise to make the line look better. He goes to the net, he scores waste objectives, but he also has the ability to defend a defender and go out the keeper before he puts him over their shoulder. Last season with the Penguins he had 31 goals and 34 assists for 65 points in 71 games. It is clear that that is not as much as Marner had last season. It is even 37 points less than Marner, but he won two Stanley Cups and appeared in the play -offs when it matters. That is something that the Maple Leafs have missed in the past.

Rest, 33, is currently signed for three more seasons for $ 5.1 million, which is an affordable contract for the Maple Leafs to accept it. The most difficult part for Treliving is to try to find out the asking price for rust. It was mentioned by Elliote Friedman on the 32 Thoughts The Podcast Most recent episode that he could see a fit between Nick Robertson and the Penguins, given that their GM Kyle Dubas was the one who set him up in Toronto.

“I assume that things will warm up in all these specific situations later in the summer at some point,” Friedman revealed about commercial conversations about the penguins. “I had asked a number of people about the possibility of Nick Robertson and Pittsburgh. Of course Kyle Dubas knows him. They arranged the arbitration on Saturday at $ 1,825 million.”

If this is the case, Robertson could be a main part of this deal, as well as a prospect that will soon be NHL ready. There is a possibility that the Maple Leafs decide to give up Ben Danford, but it is more likely that they try it and Turn Henry Thrun around In addition to Robertson and possibly a 1st round pick from 2028 with a condition on it that lowers it to a second. If that is the trading package that gets them the chance to get rust for three seasons, Treliving should not hesitate and get it done. He could finally be the GM that helps this team to find a much needed, much missed success in the play -offs.