Maple Leafs can add speed and more youth by directing Mintyukov – Hockey Writers – toronto maple leaves
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in dire need of some help across the board. It can be found that offsuason wishes did not have as much impact as they hope, defense and godeting have been their downfall, they are slow compared to previous seasons and now, they are dead last in the Eastern Conference.
Their only hope is to try and do some things, even if it will be difficult to do no matter who they are connected with. There could be another name that Manager Brad Treliving could be interested in, to address two specific areas of defense. So, Chris Johnston reported that Anaheim Ducks Defender Pavel Mintyukov is not happy with his usage as he hit three times before against the Vegas Gold Knights. Although nothing is close, if he continues to not see Ice time, then he could be a lovely target for the maple leaves.
Seeing as they need to add more backend skills, a young defender like Mintyukov would be worth taking a risk on.
Falling down the depth chart, but looking up
When he first entered the NHL in 2023-24, it looked like the ’10 Ducksth The overall pick in the 2022 draft could be a key player and key to the Ducks’ future. After tearing up the Ontario Hockey League with 150 points in 136 games, Mintyukov quickly made the jump and had a great rookie campaign with 28 points in 63 games. Since then, the production has taken a dip and his place in his place.
This season, Mintyukov saw his ice time drop from 18 and 17 from his previous two seasons to just 15 minutes and three assists in 19 games. The Ducks did not compete for the first two seasons, but began to impress in the 2025-26 season where they led the Pacific division with a 14-7-1 record. Instead of being a top-four defenseman, Mintyukov has fallen on the depth chart as he currently plays third with Radko Gudas. Although he was scratched, he had good intentions for his return with a bounce back performance.
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Overall, MintYyukov has some aggressive numbers with the potential to create scoring opportunities. While he doesn’t have much more as often as possible, he goes through the breaks and comes out with a lot of power as he comes out with 96% of his JFFESH card. Seeing as the leaves of maple leaves can come out of a clean place and without a doubt, mintyukov can definitely be a piece that you should add to that return where they come from.
While he needs to defend better, he has given the puck away 18 times this season. If he had been on the maple leaves, he would have dropped out of the top-10 on the team. Better compared to other maple leaves that give the puck away. He can also make timely blocks and isn’t afraid to play physical when needed.
Maple leaves need to get fast and low
To say that it is a low year for mintyukov and that he would like a change of location is very good. Saying maple leaves need to improve and change the shape of their blue line is also obvious. Fit for both players and the team there as the maple leaves need to get smaller and faster and MintYyukov can have another chance to reverse the line.
The downside is that it’s a left shot. If he was right-handed, it would be more than a fair thing. However, he still provides everything the team needs to improve on, both in terms of online performance and Intangibles. Given that they have a lot of players in this roster who are ripping, Mintyukov provides more UPSIde compared to other players on the team. While he’s gotten older, he could very well start to recapture the form he had in his rookie season and even his production last season.
The biggest obstacle is the lack of supplies. The Maple Leafs will fight to get anyone, but seeing as it’s a player who has struggled and isn’t happy where he is, it could lower the price. If they could add a torster piece as part of the mintyukov deal, it would be something worth checking out.
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While MintYyukov has seen his struggles this season, he is a young player with great potential. He was raw in his combat journey, but it is possible that there could have been some offensive evidence given his movement and mobility skills. The Maple Leafs could definitely use some of this on the line given their current situation.
