NHL insider Nick Kypreos reports on a proposed deal between Leafs and Coyotes

The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a bit of a rocky start to the season to begin the 2022-23 campaign and that's got fans and media members alike talking about ways in which the team can get on track.

Fire the coach, bench the stars, make a trade, all options are on the table.

In his latest column for The Toronto Sun, longtime Sportsnet analyst and inside reporter Nick Kypreos reports that a potential deal between the Leafs and the Arizona Coyotes could be the solution to he Leafs' defensive depth issues. Kypreos reports that there's interest from the Leafs in defenseman Jakob Chychrun and that the offensive blueliner could be had without needed to include top prospect Matthew Knies or top four defenseman Jake Muzzin in a potential deal.

From Kypreos:

Another thing Chychrun brings: a contract that can work with the Leafs’ salary cap. He’s gives them potentially three playoff runs (including this year) at just $4.6 million (US) a season. And best of all, the club may have the ability to pull this trade off without Dubas having to involve his top prospect prize, Matthew Knies.

The cherry on top? You might not need to write Muzzin’s $5.6 million cap hit off the books.

While other teams can go deeper with top prospects or top young players than the Leafs can, the Coyotes have told teams like Toronto and Ottawa if a trade involving Chychrun doesn’t include prospects like Knies or the Senators’ Ridly Greig, a deal can still be built around two first-round picks. It’s a pretty reasonable price to pay when you consider the Dallas Stars just paid the New York Rangers a first and potentially a third-rounder for Nils Lundkvist.

Last season we also saw Tampa Bay pay Chicago two first-round picks for Brandon Hagel. So it isn’t crazy to think that some team will pay Arizona’s price of two firsts for Chychrun. The deciding factor will be which team can sweeten the deal.

My guess is if the Leafs make a play for Chychrun, the Coyotes will ask for one of Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren or Topi Niemelä. (The Leafs would be wise to protect the right-handed shots). Since last June’s draft, Arizona GM Bill Armstrong has said he will absorb contracts for assets. To balance the money Arizona would need to take Alex Kerfoot’s remaining $3.5-million contract. And I believe they would. Solid play out of Nick Robertson over the next few weeks would make Kerfoot much easier to unload.

- Nick Kypreos

Call me crazy, but I think Kypreos might be out to lunch a bit here...

Why is it that Alex Kerfoot surfaces in EVERY Leafs trade rumor? No one wants Alex Kerfoot... give it up...

You've got to give to get in the NHL and this proposed deal from Kypreos is just another example of trying to put enough mediocre pieces in place to get one great piece back. In other words... this deal might work in EA Sports NHL 22 but not in real life.