Ex-Maple Leafs Forward Producing Like a Star Since Being Traded at the Deadline

With the Toronto Maple Leafs finally having corrected their course, winning 3 straight games after going 1-4-1 in their previous six games, it's easy to overlook some of the moves they made that resulted in useful players leaving the organization at the trade deadline.

On deadline day on March 7th, the Leafs parted ways with two 1st round picks, as well as the likes of Fraser Minten, Nikita Grebenkin, Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar and brought in Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo.

Recently, we saw Minten pop off for 3 goals in a 4-point effort for the Providence Bruins, which has left some in Leafs Nation uneasy. However, the play of Carlo since coming over certainly helps the situation.

However, one player who was dealt at the deadline who didn't yield much of a return was the aforementioned Connor Dewar, who has produced 3 goals in 4 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins after posting just .
1 goal in 54 games in Toronto.

Ex-Leafs GM Kyle Dubas stepped up and took advantage of the Leafs on March 7th, taking on the Dewar deal as well as the Timmins deal to allow the Leafs to free up enough cap space to acquire Brandon Carlo at the 11th hour. Dubas is now being rewarded for that decision.

Dewar was never going to play a large role with the Maple Leafs, given the spoils of talent at the top of the roster. Now in Pittsburgh, Dewar is also playing in a lower-pressure market, which I'm sure has helped him settle in and just focus on his game.

While this sort of production from Dewar is not expected to continue, it certainly leaves some fans in Toronto wondering where these types of contribution were when he was a Leaf. It's a fair question.