Reflecting on an intriguing trade involving the Toronto Maple Leafs, a year later.

One year ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs made an unexpected move by trading Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals during the previous year’s trade deadline. The decision stemmed from Sandin, who had recently turned 23, reaching a pivotal point in his career transition from prospect to establishing himself as a player.

With the addition of Jake McCabe, the Leafs found themselves with an excess of left-side defensemen and limited opportunities for Sandin. Despite having acquired Erik Gustafsson and Luke Schenn for the right side, the team already boasted Rielly, McCabe, and Giordano on the left.

Benching Sandin during the playoffs would have diminished his value. However, given his age and impressive statistics, the Leafs managed to secure a late first-round pick for him.

At its essence, the trade seemed like a clear win for the Leafs. They had originally drafted Sandin in the late first round in 2018, utilized him in 140 games, and then traded him for essentially the same pick they used on him.

Nevertheless, trades are often more nuanced than mere statistics suggest. Let’s delve into how things have unfolded a year later.

This trade evaluation presents a challenge. Initially, as a fervent supporter of Sandin, I criticized the trade. However, with a year’s hindsight, I now view it as a shrewd move.

Developing defensemen is notoriously difficult, and the Leafs appear to struggle more than most in this regard. Thus, relinquishing perhaps their most promising defenseman since Morgan Rielly might seem perplexing.

However, the trade makes sense given the Leafs’ current lineup, featuring Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe on the left side, and opting for a defensive-minded approach with the bottom of their lineup. Consequently, there was little room for Sandin in the Leafs’ roster.

Moreover, the pivotal factor is the player selected with the draft pick acquired for Sandin: Easton Cowen. Cowen has excelled in the OHL and emerged as the Leafs’ top prospect following the promotions of Joseph Woll and Matthew Knies to the NHL.

At this juncture, it appears evident that Sandin is a solid top-four defenseman, albeit not a standout star and unlikely to become one. Given this context, most observers would likely favor Cowen’s potential over that of a reliable yet unspectacular defenseman.

Following an impressive almost point-per-game performance last year (15 points in 19 games) post-trade, Sandin’s production has tapered off, amassing just 23 points in 63 games this season.

Although he averages the most minutes per game for the Capitals at 5v5, Sandin appears ill-suited for such a role. His Corsi and Expected Goals ratings stand at 46%, and the Capitals struggle to capitalize during his shifts, scoring just 46% of the time with him on the ice.