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Ex-Maple Leaf Emerging as True Top Pairing Defenseman After Being Traded by Kyle Dubas
Photo credit: Stan Szeto - USA Today Sports
With hindsight being 20/20, was trading away Rasmus Sandin one of the worst moves in recent history for the Maple Leafs considering his rise in the years since?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are constantly looking to solidify their back-end on a yearly basis and while they've attempted so many different players over the years, the fact that they're still trying means not much has worked out in their favour.
Looking back in time, one of the worst moves they've made that could have bolstered their defense to new heights was letting go of Rasmus Sandin when they traded him to the Washington Capitals.
The Maple Leafs essentially had to make a choice between Sandin or Timothy Liljegren at the time because, seemingly, there wasn't enough room for both and Sandin was looking for a new contract that was out of their price point.
Sandin was dealt to Washington for Erik Gustafsson and a first round pick. Gustafsson only managed to play in 9 regular season games and 2 post-season contests before walking as a free agent while Sandin has nearly immediately become a top-pair defenseman and is still only just 25-years-old.
The Capitals signed the young Swede to a 5-year deal worth $23 million dollars in March of 2024, making it somewhat of a team-friendly deal now that the salary cap is rising exponentially.
As for their decision to stick with Liljegren instead, while it might have paid off in the sense that he was signed to a cheaper deal, the former first rounder found it extremely difficult to produce and keep his spot in the every day lineup before being moved to San Jose.
The Capitals recently posted a full feature on the rise of Sandin's game since his arrival and it shined a light into how he felt when he was in Toronto, which prompted him to want a fresh start:
"But I think it was just a fresh start. I think I could just build from zero coming in. I got a lot of belief from the coaching staff that was here at that point, and they just wanted me to go out and have fun. And the guys that were here, they made it a lot of fun for me, and the points just kept rolling. I've never had a stint like that in my life, not even in junior. But I kind of knew that was going to cool off after a bit. Putting up two or three points a game for a year, I knew that wasn't very believable. But yeah, I'm happy I'm here and just love being a Capital."
The Capitals couldn't be any happier with their decision as they currently sit atop the entire NHL with a 45-15-8 record through 68 games. Sandin has played a big role in their rise with 4 goals and 26 points to go along with a plus-21 rating, 100 blocked shots, 79 hits, an 18:58 ATOI, all while playing on a team friendly deal until the end of the 2028-29 season.
Yes, hindsight is 20/20 and he might not have been given the same opportunities in Toronto as he has received in Washington but it's yet another case of questionable asset mismanagement by the previous regime as the Leafs continue to try to find the right pieces to fill their back-end today.
| POLL | ||
MARS 21 | 3551 ANSWERS Ex-Maple Leaf Emerging as True Top Pairing Defenseman After Being Traded by Kyle Dubas Do you think trading Rasmus Sandin was a poor decision? | ||
| Yes, we didn't give him a chance to develop | 2183 | 61.5 % |
| No, he was never going to get the role and minutes | 1368 | 38.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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