A Former Lottery Pick Is Being Floated as Morgan Rielly's Next Defensive Partner
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly has been having some problems this season and the team may be forced to make a trade for a former lottery pick.
Seth Jones is a proven top-four defenseman, and he brings size at defense with his 6'4"and 215 lbs frame. Not to mention, he has excelled as a two-way player over the years.
Maple Leafs may look at a Seth Jones trade
He can play over 24 minutes per game and has five goals, 19 assists, 68 block shots, and 49 hits in 35 games this season.
Adding him would certainly help Morgan Rielly and allow him to play a more offensive role.
However, his contract is a big obstacle for the Leafs if they want to trade for him.
Jones is in the third year of an eight-year of $76M, meaning that even with 50% salary retention, Toronto would be committing $4.75M annually until 2030.
That cap hit could become problematic as the Leafs look to extend their beat players in the coming years.
The proposed trade could be Easton Cowan, Nicholas Robertson, David Kämpf and a 2026 first-round pick, but this is a steep price for him.
Easton Cowan is Toronto's best prospect and is showing elite potential as of now.
Nick Robertson has struggled with consistency, but he's only 24 and he still has time to develop.
Kämpf is a solid defensive forward, and the first-round pick adds significant future value for Chicago which is in a rebuilding phase.
Chicago might hesitate to retain that much salary unless they receive a premium return.
A short-term, lower-cost option like Chris Tanev or Matt Dumba might be a better fit and will provide the defensive stability without long-term cap concerns for the Leafs.
While Jones is a great upgrade, the cost and contract make this a high-risk move for the Leafs.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 3 | 191 ANSWERS A Former Lottery Pick Is Being Floated as Morgan Rielly's Next Defensive Partner Do you think the Toronto Maple Leafs should try to trade for Seth Jones? | ||
| Yes | 111 | 58.1 % |
| No | 80 | 41.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
