1 trade every NHL team should make

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are ready to take the next step of their rebuild. How good has their rebuild been so far? Well, they can probably afford to trade star wing James van Riemsdyk without losing much depth. Credit Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and company for making a very good forward expendable. The Leafs should use this opportunity to trade him to add the final building block of every Stanley Cup contender – a first pairing defenseman.

However, top pairing defenseman are quite hard to find and even more expensive to acquire. If there is one available, it’s Dougie Hamilton of the Calgary Flames. While the team has adamantly denied any trade rumors, keep in mind this is precisely what the Montreal Canadiens said about P.K. Subban.

Toronto would likely have to give up more to get Hamilton. They can thank the Edmonton Oilers for setting the market price for a top defenseman. But if the Leafs can manage to get Hamilton, he’s a perfect fit for them. Toronto has defensemen who are generally alright moving the puck, but only Jake Gardiner and Connor Carrick stand out as puck movers. Both are at best above average. Hamilton, however, is an excellent puck mover.