Maple Leafs will regret any trade for Rasmus Sandin

Maple Leafs defenceman Rasmus Sandin remains without a contract for next season but general manager Kyle Dubas needs to negotiate new term for Toronto's 2019 first-round pick or risk losing a player projected to be a blue line star.

Video Transcript

OMAR: Are there issues in the Rasmus Sandin river, sea, ocean right now? I think a lot of Leafs fans are a little tense about what's going on. After Timothy Liljegrin got signed, we though that the Rasmus Sandin deal would be right next. And now it seems like there's some issues where Sandin wants more playing time, wants a guaranteed spot.

And when you look at the blue line, yeah, there aren't really too many guaranteed spots. But the reactions as far as what the fan base is going is actually kind of all over the place. There are some fan basers who are saying, no, don't trade Rasmus Sandin. I am part of that club. Don't do that. There are some who are saying, no, trade him. That's ridiculous.

And there are others that are kind of frustrated, saying, how can you have this stance when you've only had less than 100 NHL game experience? Which I also get. I also understand.

And I think this is a big thing that comes down to Kyle Dubas as a negotiator overall. Dubas makes decent trades. His draft record's been OK. But it always comes down to the negotiations. And again, seeing Rasmus Sandin, who we know hasn't even played a full NHL season, making these type of demands, which makes sense, it's justifiable. But it's just how are we here again?

Now, I hope it doesn't go south. I hope we don't get to a point where Sandy gets traded because, again, I think that's a trade that the Leafs will regret moving forward. Morgan Rielly isn't going to be a Leaf forever. Mark Giordano is not gonna be a Leaf forever. Jake Muzzin's not going to be a Leaf forever. Heck, Jake Muzzin might even get moved this offseason to make room for Sandin.

But the point is that the player that Sandin is projecting to be is worth keeping, is worth sticking around for. And initially, thinking about it, at other times, I am a little frustrated, saying, OK, I can't believe we're here. But I don't think the Leafs come out of a Sandin trade looking better unless it's for a huge player or a significant player that's kind of been around the league, maybe a JT Miller or something. I don't know.

But I think it's better for the Leafs long-term to figure this out with Sandin. And even though it does seem bad right now, I think they'll find a way to figure it out.