Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours. There is an understanding that the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to add at the trade deadline. They’ve been testing the waters for a middle-six forward, specifically a centre. The deadline is coming up in about six weeks on March 7. Rumour has it that Luke Kunin of the San Jose Sharks could be on the Maple Leafs‘ radar. Kunin would certainly fit the job description set out by Toronto and general manager Brad Treliving.
Kunin on Toronto’s Radar
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, expressed his opinion and idea of Kunin being a good fit for the Maple Leafs. With the Sharks, he’s averaged just under 15 minutes per game. That has him floating around a middle-six role with the team. Furthermore, while he slots in at the centre position in San Jose, he can play on the wing as well.
In 51 games this season with the Sharks, Kunin has scored 11 goals and 18 points. That makes him fifth in goals amongst his teammates. He’s a great piece that could be considered a depth scorer for the Maple Leafs. Furthermore, if Kunin were on the Leafs roster, he’d have the seven most goals on the team. That beats out Nicholas Robertson, Max Pacioretty, and Max Domi in Toronto’s list of goal leaders. The Leafs have struggled to find scoring aside from their top players and Kunin could boost their numbers.
Kunin is in his third season with San Jose. His point totals to this point are identical to those from last season. He scored 11 goals, seven assists, and 18 points. However, he recorded those numbers in 77 games, 26 more than he has played in this campaign. Therefore, those numbers suggest that he is progressing and improving.
In addition to Kunin’s ability to score, he is an effective two-way player. He is consistently a top penalty-killer for San Jose. He has the second-most ice time in penalty-killing situations. San Jose head coach Ryan Warsovsky has plenty of faith in the 27-year-old. Among Sharks forwards, he only sits behind Mikael Granlund for the most defensive zone starts with 142 this season.
On top of his defensive game, he has a physical side. Kunin isn’t afraid to throw his body around as he is currently 25th in the league for hits, according to Statmuse. He has also been involved in a couple of scraps. His last fight came on Thursday against Cole Smith of the Nashville Predators.
Cap Implications
According to PuckPedia, the Maple Leafs have just over $400,000 in available cap space. They hold forward Calle Jarnkrok and Jani Hakanpaa on long-term injury reserve, freeing up about $3.5M in cap space. Kunin earns $2.75M against the cap as he signed a one-year contract with the Sharks in the offseason. Therefore, Toronto will have to take money out if they want to acquire the Sharks’ alternate captain. Also, Kunin is a pending free agent and Brad Treliving is looking for a player with a contract that is valid past this season.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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