According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Toronto Maple Leafs sent a league-wide email informing teams that veteran forward Wayne Simmonds is available for trade ahead of tomorrow’s opening-day roster deadline.
Per the aforementioned email, the Maple Leafs and general manager Kyle Dubas are less concerned with the return rather than “doing right by the player,” a theme the organization has committed to multiple times in recent years. While it usually has to do with giving European import players a chance for more minutes elsewhere, whether it be Mikko Lehtonen’s trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020-21 or Kirill Semyonov’s contract termination last year, it’s become a philosophy that helps them attract free agent talent.
The 34-year-old Simmonds is a veteran of 1,019 NHL games, which on its own makes him a valuable asset to teams around the league. Simmonds had five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 72 games last year, while his ice time was limited to a minuscule 9:20 per game. With players like Nicholas Robertson, Denis Malgin, and Zach Aston-Reese standing out in Leafs training camp, Simmonds no longer fits into the picture as one of the team’s 12 best forwards. Considering Toronto needs to clear salary and roster space fast, it was a foregone conclusion that they’d need to move someone out to make room.
Simmonds is still looking for his first Stanley Cup, surely a driving factor in his desire to keep playing. He has one season remaining on a two-year contract with a $900,000 cap hit, and he currently carries a 10-team no-trade list.
The Flyers need him back desperately for leadership!!!
That wouldn’t be doing right by Simmonds
lol
Simmonds has no value, Waiving him Is probably the only option.
Haha! Well this shouldn’t be news, leafs would have traded him in a heartbeat for the last yr, they just don’t want to be the team to tell him his NHL career has ended, but let’s be honest, it ended awhile ago
Ottawa!!
I forgot Oilers are getting players from the leafs in the last couple of years lol
Just the good players though
Flyers will take him and a 1st.
in separate trades maybe
“Doing right by the player” = “please don’t hold us up just to unload him.”
it’s 900,000. no one is going to hold them up. maybe a 5th at best.
Gonna cost a pick – but a team with a lot of injuries could use him
Boston, Washington come to mind
not much of a pick. he’s only making 900,000. could see a 5th or 6th at best.
Ugh, not in Boston. I’d take the 20-something Simmonds in a heartbeat. The 34-year-old Simmonds Toronto’s shopping is a used-up shell capable of 4th line minutes at the level best. There’s nothing he can bring to the table that the Frederics, Studnickas, Wagners or Greers can’t do. Veteran leadership? On a team with *multiple* Messier winners?
He’ll be on waivers. Leafs are a tire fire.
Messier leadership award. lmao. It started so Messier could make money doing a commercial for a potato chip. lol. meaningless like everybody gets medal time.