Division rival's 6-foot-6 forward could join Leafs in new trade proposal

The Leafs' off-season moves have been relatively quiet, with their most notable actions being the acquisition of Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and the leadership shift from John Tavares to Auston Matthews. The addition of these defensemen has not fully addressed their need for a robust bottom-six forward.

Fans are actively scouting for potential replacements for Tyler Bertuzzi, or players who can support him. One Toronto fan used the PuckPedia website to propose a trade that would send Pontus Holmberg and a 2025 second-round pick to the Sabres in exchange for Greenway, with half of his salary retained.

Jordan Greenway, who has 52 goals and 151 points in 401 career games, scored 10 goals and 28 points last season. In contrast, Pontus Holmberg tallied 7 goals and 17 points in 54 games. Despite Holmberg's shorter average ice time, he managed to score at a slightly better rate per hour compared to Greenway.

Given Greenway's current $800k salary and the fact that the trade would involve sending away Holmberg and a second-round pick for a more expensive player, even with half his salary retained, the proposal seems questionable. Greenway, although having more NHL experience, may not offer significant improvement over Holmberg.

If the Leafs are serious about filling their bottom-six forward spots effectively, aiming for a higher-caliber player might be a more prudent strategy.

Source: Hockey Patrol
Trade proposal between Leafs and division rival sends 6-foot-6 forward to Toronto