As the winter doldrums kick in, Torontonians are locking into their sports.
Seasonal attention has invited speculation into Toronto teams’ upcoming trading decisions. Specifically, the process of becoming a buyer, or a seller, during the annual trade deadline frenzy.
As the NHL and NBA trade deadlines approach, the two Toronto franchises are taking very different positions.
Blake Murphy, a Raptors analyst and co-host of Drive Time on Sportsnet 590 The FAN, said the Raptors will be sellers this year.
“It’s time this year to just sell,” Murphy said. “Not tear the whole thing down, but try to get back to a competitive point for next year and retool.”
The Raptors are expected to be sellers this year. After a rocky few seasons, selling would allow the team to build back up in hopes of winning a championship. Photo credit: Rheegan Goodale
The Raptors won their last championship in 2019, and many of those players still remain with the team. Murphy said while this group has proven they can be winners, they haven’t been clicking this year.
He said the Leafs, on the other hand, are feeling the pressure to add to their existing squad.
The Leafs have not made it past the first round of playoffs in nearly 20 years, and have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967. They currently hold the record for longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history.
Nick Alberga, who has been analyzing and covering the Toronto Maple Leafs for more than a decade, said they feel pressure to win, from the fanbase and ownership alike.
“The urgency is there,” Alberga said. “So they’re a perfect example of a team living in the now, who have to put pressure on themselves to win.”
The Toronto Maple Leafs have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967. Since their win, they have yet to make it to the Stanley Cup finals, either. Photo credit: Rheegan Goodale
NHL teams can continue trading until March 3, but Alberga said the Leafs have established themselves as buyers. He said a number of key players and their contracts will come to an end in the next few years, so the time is now.
But others offer slightly different perspectives.
Ryan Kennedy, editor-in-chief of The Hockey News, said there may be less of a rush.
“[The Leafs] have a pretty big window open right now,” Kennedy said. “They’re going to be good for a pretty long time. It’s just a matter of how good, exactly.”
Kennedy said making big, substantial trading moves is difficult in the NHL.
He said the league has hard caps on player salaries, and the Leafs have hit their salary spending limit.
“The Leafs will try to make a move or two, but they’re kind of hamstrung right now,” Kennedy said. “It’s going to take a lot of financial wizardry to do so.”
The NHL salary cap was introduced in 2005, which makes trading decisions much more difficult. COVID-19 had a negative impact on the growth of these salary caps. Photo credit: Rheegan Goodale
He said Toronto has had no trouble spending up to the cap, given their highly attractive hockey market and enviable financial balance sheet.
Alberga agrees. He said the NHL lost a significant amount of money during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made the past few trading seasons difficult for buyers.
“We’ve called it a dead cap era, or the flat cap era, where not much is happening,” Alberga said. “If you’re a contender, you want to have the best players available, but a lot of teams are really handcuffed, hardcore.”
The NBA doesn’t have the same restrictions when it comes to trading. Murphy said their salary caps are riddled with loopholes.
“The NHL has a cap that you under absolutely no circumstances can go over, whereas the NBA has a salary cap, but there are all these loopholes to go over it,” Murphy said. “That’s why you see teams with ridiculous payrolls and luxury tax bills.”
The evidence is in the money. Alberga said the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid is the NHL’s highest-paid player, cashing in at $12.5 million. In stark contrast, the NBA’s highest-paid player, Stephen Curry, will earn a whopping $48.1 million salary this year.
Murphy said as a seller, future value is at the forefront of the team’s decision making. Even though NBA salary caps are convoluted, he said selling ultimately risks the team’s future success.
“The Raptors want to be back in the playoffs next year, but they’re selling this year,” Murphy said. “It’s hard to picture trading one of their core players, and then somehow finding something better for next year.”
After the 2019 season, where they achieved the league’s second best regular-season record, Murphy said the Raptors are hoping to return to the playoffs.
Murphy said in order to achieve this goal, the Raptors will have to make some moves. He said he would be surprised if they didn’t trade this year.
“I think there will be a trade or two,” Murphy said.“My only real prediction on it is that it’ll be busy.”
Conversely, the Leafs’ last win was more than five decades ago. Alberga said the Leafs’ decision to become buyers will add players this year.
“Without question, they’re going to be very, very active,” he said. “The pressure is on.”