With the ongoing Jeremy Swayman drama with the Boston Bruins, could GM Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs pull off a move that could alter both franchises long-term?
Since the Boston Bruins offered Jeremy Swayman a contract; one that was swiftly refuted by Swayman and his agent, Lewis Gross, they thought they were gonna pull a fast one over on their young goaltender. GM Cam Neely gave a fairly unprofessional response when asked about Swayman's status, a statement that has come back to haunt Neely thus far. It's led to a lot of animosities, and although it's assumed Swayman will sign with the Bruins eventually, there are a lot of teams who could use a future elite goaltender.
With that being said, could GM Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs swoop in and nab Swayman; a goalie they passed over in the 4th round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft? Instead, the Maple Leafs ended up picking Ian Scott, a now-retired goaltender who never played in the NHL, a move that feels like it's been a long-time curse for the Maple Leafs, always passing on potential or making miscalculated moves. So it's time for Treliving and the Maple Leafs to do it right this time.
There are a couple of options they could utilize, however, one may be a bit easier said than done. Firstly, the Maple Leafs could do something crazy and trade not only within their division but to a heated rival who they will most likely see come playoff time. The Maple Leafs would need to open up cap space, but with Mitch Marner's contract expiring, the Maple Leafs could get rid of Marner, add loads of draft capital and prospects, and create enough salary to sign Swayman long-term.
The Bruins would be looking for the farm, so giving up those Marner picks, or a combination of those picks and prospects like Topi Niemala and Fraser Minten; is a big price tag but that comes with the territory when you're dealing with elite goaltenders. It's a long shot but it's not unfeasible for the Maple Leafs to try and pull together a blockbuster; they've done it with Boston before and they may be privy to do it again.
Another option could be signing Swayman to an offer sheet, persuading Boston to call their bluff and perhaps rush to re-sign Swayman to a more expensive contract in haste, as opposed to playing the game they want to. It comes with compensation picks, and the Maple Leafs would need to give up a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounder to sign Swayman due to him presumably commanding between $8-9M per season on his next contract. However, with the Maple Leafs not set to have high draft picks, they can afford to give them away to Boston to secure their goaltender for the next decade. Marner's money is still an issue, however gaining those picks in a Marner trade to give as compensation for Swayman may be a little bit of a cheaper option as it would allow Toronto to keep prospects in their system, and acquire Swayman at the cost of only those aforementioned picks.
The Toronto Maple Leafs would be doing themselves a favor by seriously looking at ways they could acquire Jeremy Swayman, a goalie they should have taken in 2017. It may feel like a few years too late, but there's still time for Swayman to wear a Maple Leafs jersey; the way it was supposed to be.
