What Should the Leafs Do When Josh Leivo Returns?

They say that you can never have too much of a good thing, but is that really the case for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are often talked about as having one of the top prospect pools in the NHL, headlined by the likes of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner.

However, there comes a time when a team has too many prospects and/or players on their hands and they have to make tough decisions regarding their future.

In the Leafs’ case, the amount of depth they have up front runs deep through the AHL and junior hockey. During their recent three-game winning streak, they scratched defenceman Frank Corrado and forwards Seth Griffith and Peter Holland.

Consider, also, the fact that Josh Leivo was recently sent to the Marlies on a long-term conditioning stint, with him returning after six days or three games, whichever is longer.

At the time of writing, Leivo has yet to play a game in the AHL since being sent down on November 2nd, but when he does return, what can the Leafs do?

Make a Trade

The Leafs have managed to pick up three consecutive victories thanks to much better performances from goaltender Frederik Andersen, but the team could still use some help along the blue-line.

Toronto has so many forward prospects but don’t have such an abundance on defence, with Travis Dermott and Andrew Nielsen headlining the team’s prospects in that area.

Leafs management have been very creative with acquiring new talent, picking up the likes of Griffith and Corrado on waivers, but it may be time for them to offload some of the excess they have accrued during this rebuild process.

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With such a plethora of young talent at all levels down to major junior, the Leafs could afford to produce a package to bring in a player to give them help on defence.

Many names have been thrown around such as Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm and Jacob Trouba, but it’s time for the Leafs to take a serious look at who is available and what it would cost to acquire them.

If a trade can clear up roster space and give them a legitimate top six D-man, or at the very least a good defensive prospect, then the Leafs would be wise to consider this.

Risk Waivers

As previously mentioned, the Leafs managed to pick up players such as Corrado and Griffith on waivers, making them well aware of the risks if they try to send players down the same way.

Holland, Griffith and Leivo are the players that would be most likely to be sent down, but any one of them could find themselves snapped up by another team.

Griffith and Leivo are proven scorers in the AHL but still have much to prove in the NHL, while Holland could be considered a veteran, with 201 regular season games under his belt.

All three players have short, cheap, risk-free contracts and could find themselves on other NHL teams if exposed to waivers. The Leafs could realistically get something in return for any of them.

Send Nikita Soshnikov Back

Since returning to the NHL, the Russian winger has been a lively player showing plenty of promise, particularly in front of goal.

He has a goal and an assist in the three games he has played in and looks to be a far better fit on the team’s fourth line compared to Griffith and Holland.

The team can send the 23-year-old back to the AHL without the risk of losing him for nothing, but is Mike Babcock willing to do this?

Holland appears to be the most vulnerable right now, having lost his starting spots to Smith, Griffith and now Soshnikov.

The Caledon, Ontario, native will be holding his breath when the team has to bring Leivo back into the roster, wondering if his time with the team is up?

So is the Stanley Cup-winning coach really willing to send down Soshnikov, who has been far more productive this season in less time than players before him?

Or would trying to move some players, such as Holland — who could be productive given the right role and on the right team — and get something in return, be a better route to take?

Next: Should the Leafs make a move for Jacob Trouba?

What do you think the Toronto Maple Leafs should do when Josh Leivo returns to the team? Let us know in the comments section below.