The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to make a deep run in the postseason, with hopes of being the first Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens way back in 1993. The Maple Leafs were once nearly as dominant as Montreal in the early NHL days, when the Maple Leafs won five Stanley Cups in the 1940’s and four more in the 1960’s. But that included the last championship for Toronto in 1967.

Toronto hopes to return to glory, but has a long way to get there in the stacked Eastern Conference. However, they made a big move in the right direction as news broke that the Maple Leafs traded with the Seattle Kraken for veteran defenseman Mark Giordano.

So, let’s grade the Toronto Maple Leafs-Seattle Kraken Mark Giordano trade.

Grading the Maple Leafs-Kraken Mark Giordano Trade

Toronto Maple Leafs: B

In the trade, the Maple Leafs received Giordano and center Colin Blackwell. In exchange, Toronto sent a second-round pick both this year and next year, as well as a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Seattle also agreed to pay half of Giordano’s remaining salary this season.

The Maple Leafs were looking to shore up their defense, and Giordano will certainly help. But there are still some questions as to how much he has left in the tank.

Giordano is 38 years old, having played the first 15 seasons of his career with the Calgary Flames before joining the expansion Kraken last offseason. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. That is one check mark for Toronto, as the aging superstar will not be on the books next season unless an extension is reached.

But he is also having arguably the worst season of his career. Giordano has never been an offensive juggernaut, so his six goals and 17 assists this season are not my concern. His -21 plus/minus is a red flag though. Now, a lot of that is due to the fact that he was playing on one of the worst teams in the NHL. But even the two years prior with Calgary (a good hockey team), Giordano’s plus/minus was well below the numbers he was accustomed to.

His presence on the power play has been diminishing in recent years as well. Even his ice time has been in decline the last handful of years. It all points to age and regression.

Again, Giordano will certainly help Toronto defensively, but how much is the question. Two second-round picks and a third-round pick might be quite a lot if the Maple Leafs only end up with two months of average defensive play.

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Seattle Kraken: B+

I like the Seattle side of the trade a bit more. It wasn’t the largest haul, but it certainly was a decent one for an aging superstar. As I mentioned before, Giordano’s production has been dipping the last few years.

For the expansion Kraken to improve, it’s going to have to come through the draft. Free agent stars aren’t likely to be lining up to play in Seattle until the team shows more signs of life.

Knowing that, it made sense for the Kraken to move off of their biggest name player. The few draft picks they received should help as they attempt to build a future.