The Toronto Maple Leafs have had their blue line absolutely decimated to start the 2022-23 season, and they are going to need to insulate sooner than later. Sheldon Keefe has the Leafs winning games despite being thin on defense, but eventually, all chickens come home to roost.
Reportedly, one player the Leafs have their eyes on is
Radko Gudas of the Florida Panthers. Gudas plays on the right side, and the snarl with which he plays is legendary at this stage of his career. Some of which the Leafs could certainly use more.
The elephant in any trade involving the Leafs and Panthers is the ever-present salary cap. Both teams are strapped to the cap and in need of relief. Gudas' $2.5M (plus his pending UFA status) would be doable for Toronto, given the LTIR space they've received from all their injuries.
This would be a massive W for the Leafs if they could swing it. It's still not 100%, given how tight Toronto is to the cap, but Gudas would be a great add on all fronts for the Leafs.
