The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Jordan Schmaltz from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Andreas Borgman. The deal does not include any other assets. Schmaltz is in the final season of a two-year contract signed in 2018, while Borgman was just signed to a one-year two-way deal in March.
Basically, this is a fresh start for two players who were buried on their respective depth charts. Despite including a first-round pick and an SHL Rookie of the Year, neither club might actually be getting any actual NHL games out of the deal. In Schmaltz’ case, the 25-year old has never lived up to his draft billing as the 25th overall pick in 2012 and has just 42 NHL games under his belt with the Blues. He has been a solid contributor at the minor leagues, but has been passed over time and again by other players in the Blues system including most recently by Mitch Reinke, who was outstanding in his first season of professional hockey.
In Toronto though, Schmaltz represents some much-needed depth on defense simply because he is right-handed. Toronto previously had just Tyson Barrie, Cody Ceci and Justin Holl as right-handed options with NHL experience in the entire organization, meaning they needed to find someone else just in case they face injury. Head coach Mike Babcock has been clear in the past that his preference is playing defensemen on their strong side—except perhaps in the case of Ron Hainsey, who played the right side of Morgan Rielly the last two seasons. Schmaltz may actually have a shot at making the NHL roster out of camp because of this lack of depth, especially because Travis Dermott is expected to start on injured reserve thanks to shoulder surgery.
For Borgman, this could also represent a better opportunity to make it to the NHL, though he shouldn’t hold his breath. More likely the Blues wanted a player who was still waiver-exempt and on a two-way deal, in order to fill out their depth in the minor leagues. Borgman could potentially be an injury replacement at some point this season, but given the Blues retained their entire Stanley Cup-winning blue line while also adding Derrick Pouliot, it will be tough sledding to find much ice time.
Interestingly, both players will qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency next summer if they don’t get some time in the NHL this year. Borgman needs 32 games to keep him a restricted free agent, while Schmaltz would need 38.
Thought that said Jaden Schwartz for a second aha.
They keep acquiring assets but they need to resign marner what is this lol
Both JORDAN not Jaden Schwartz,roflmao, and Borgman carry salary of $700,000, so shouldn’t affect negotiations and most likely will be in minors for their new teams.
Schmaltz =/= asset lol
Another wimp for the Leafs. Lol.
IBackTheNats6 – Think Dubas is trying to put more “subtle” heat on Ferris & Marner to get the deal done sooner, before the money “runs out?”
This deal like the one with recent deals with Pittsburgh and Vegas makes absolutely zero sense! Why trade one of your younger d man, one who I thought would be a guy who would make the team as a the 5-6-7 defenseman out of camp…for another forward who doesn’t score and doesn’t contribute!?
The team clearly has holes on defense and in goal still yet Babcock/Dubas/Shanahan still think they can win without having solid D and solid Goaltending. This team in my opinion has wasted Freddy Andersen’s best season in a Maple Leafs uniform. Babcock only played Sparks once every 3 or 4 weeks and blames him for losing 3-1 and 4-1 games when the team lays an egg offensively most of his starts. They better hope that Michal Neuvirth regains some of his former self because he can be a fairly solid 1B or 2A type of goaltender WHEN and IF he is healthy! Michael Hutchison is barely an NHL goaltender as this point in his career. I would hope that the Leafs give a lot of quality playing time to either Joseph Woll or Ian Scott in the AHL/ECHL levels and perhaps one of them could sneak up like Jordan Bennington and several others like him have done recently and steal the show. I think Andersen is really going to need the extra rest after having to face 40 plus shots every damn night.
Still, I do not think the Leafs are even a playoff team as of right now and even Marner playing or not doesn’t make them one. For them to even make the playoffs the The Leafs will have to hope for a lot of things:
1- Morgan Rielly picking up from where he left off from. It took him 6 full seasons to finally put it all together, and not sure if he can be much better than he was last season. When you are hoping for a repeat season after finally a breaking one in your only true 1-2 defenseman, not a great sign!
2- Can Jake Muzzin be reliable as a 1-2. His game has been in seriously decline since the 2015 season and after which Babcock misused him a the 2014 Olympics and messed up his game. If he is no longer an elite top defender (I have my doubts) then thats also not good as your #2 defender.
3- Travis Dermott, will he be able to take the next step? After a horrendous game 7 and poor playoff performance against Boston, the young #3 will also miss start of the season due to injury. This is a big IF wondering if he can take the next step in his career since it took Rielly 6 seasons to figure it all out! He needs to be very good especially if Muzzin and Rielly falter and I expect at least one of them to have an off season if not both.
4- The rest of the defense? With veteran leader Ron Hainsey gone, who in the hell is going to step into that leadership role on the blue line? If Babcock and the front office are looking at Rielly for that, then we got the Dion Phaneuf mistake happening all over again. Not having a steady long time proven leader on the blue line will ultimately kill this team this season. I am still hoping the team signs Adam McQuaid to a deal. Right now, the Leafs have perhaps the weakest defensive unit in the NHL and that simply won’t cut it.
5- Freddy Andersen better be prepared to wear a superman costume underneath his jersey. With such a weak defense with a declining veteran and a bunch of question marks (Ceci, Harpur, Liljegren, Gravel–who I did like as an LA King could surprise I hope–Rasanen and Sandin) he will without a doubt face the most rubber of any starting goaltender this season and that is already to be expected from a coach and front office who still think they can win with nothing but speed, skill and offense and no defensive edge at all! Trading away Sparks for nothing also illuminates the fact that Babcock and company do not believe in a strong goaltending tandem nor did that deal help with adding another d man. Now with Borgman gone, I guess amateur or former college or HS players in the greater Toronto area should try out since it couldn’t be any weaker or worse. I was hoping the team would sign Cam Ward as the backup and even wanted to trade for him in the middle of last season. Even Chicago has 3 potential starting goaltenders on their current roster and Ward isn’t even one of them anymore.
On Mitch Marner…my offer would be 5 years and $50 million (10 million a year). Is he worth 10 mil yes, but 5 years is also as good as Nylander and Matthews which gives them a good 5 year window to finally learn how to win in the f ing playoffs. But without a doubt, if they fail to get to the second round, let alone even make the playoffs this season, then Babcock’s ass is grass! Step into the light Mr. Sheldon Keefe…
Lots of flaws to this team right now…and they haven’t even been addressed. And Marner cannot sit out like Nylander did last season. That is a distraction which CANNOT be allowed to happen. If so, I would say Dubas should go as well.
And I am very well aware of the addition of Tyson Barrie. Good fit as the #2 or #3 top four for sure. But the rest of them I really worry about…But lets say Marner sits out half the season like Nylander, or even with him the team struggles, Muzzin’s decline continues hard, Rielly struggling as he has before last season with the added minutes and higher expectations, Andersen gets injured or unable to simply keep up with Neuvith/Hutchison unable for whatever reason to fill the void, Matthews missing 20 games or more again, etc…a lot can happen and some of those WILL for sure happen…then the team will simply have to look into dealing guys like Barrie, Nylander, anyone older on the bottom 6, and maybe even Freddy Andersen with one year left on the deal. Simply saying if things don’t work out this season, and most of this is on Babcock’s shoulders to be honest, then the team will have to look at some kind of retooling as well as firing Babcock since he failed!
My mistake, Jordan Schmaltz is a defender…thought for sure he was a forward from STL. Mixed up with the other Schmaltz, former Blackhawk. But I knew they weren’t the same guy. I would rather have Borgman still!
Still do not understand all the recent moves for other forwards. They seem totally full especially on the bottom 6.
Toronto is doing everything they can to get money for marner but in the meantime there’s so many moving parts who knows how good they are.
Rantings of a stupid lunatic
That was like a slow moving car crash
Leafs have to deal Marner. they cant put so much money on just a few players at the expense of the rest of their roster. regardless of how many star players you have, if you have multiple full lines filled with guys at the league minimum, you’re not going anywhere.
if Marner is willing to accept $10 million then that would have happened already. the top bracket offer sheet realm is above that, and im sure someone (scratch that, just about any team that has that much cap space) has offered just under that already.