TheLeafsNation Top 25 of 2020: #5 — Five Potential Trade Partners for Frederik Andersen
By Zach Laing
3 years agoWelcome to the yearly wrap up of the top read articles over the last year!
It didn’t take long after the Leafs were eliminated in the return to play for the focus to shift onto the offseason.
And with that, talk of Freddie Andersen being traded resurfaced.
On August 13th, TLN writer Brian Reid took a look at five potential trade targets for Andersen. It was the fifth most-read article this year.
As no-brainers for potential trade destinations, Reid listed Chicago and the Minnesota Wild. Two possibilities were the Carolina Hurricanes and the Calgary Flames, while a galaxy brain option was the San Jose Sharks.
Here’s some of what he wrote:
With the Leafs also potentially moving on from one (or both) of Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen this offseason, Kevin Lebanc is an intriguing option to fill a top nine wing role. Lebanc signed a cheap, one year, $1 million extension last summer to help the Sharks and it ended up costing him as the Sharks didn’t really put the savings to good use and Lebanc’s production dropped from 56 points in 2018/2019 to 33 points this past season. The Sharks would most certainly need to add a bit here, but Lebanc could be a feasible target for the Leafs in general this summer, so I’ll mention him here.Goaltending in the NHL is always a hard thing to predict. Just a few seasons ago, it looked like Frederik Andersen was going to retire a Leaf, hopefully with a Cup ring or two, and judging by the sheer volume of shots he handled, more than likely a Conn Smythe somewhere along the way. Now, with a crucial offseason on the horizon and three crushing postseason failures in the rear view, even the man once considered the backbone of the team doesn’t feel 100% safe.
On Twitter: @zjlaing
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