Washington’s crowded forward group may have opened the kind of door Toronto can’t ignore.
Ivan Miroshnichenko is suddenly a name to watch, because the Capitals may not have the room to keep him in the lineup after a heavy offseason added too many forwards, especially on the wing. Elliotte Friedman said the situation has real trade implications if Washington can’t carve out playing time for the 22-year-old.
“Someone I talked to, when you don't play - get noticed. But that's his thing...there are a lot of people watching. He's a first-round pick, battled some health issues, really talented, and good enough to play in this league.
The reason he hasn't played is the Capitals are so deep and he got into this game only because Dubois was under the weather - but there are a lot of teams watching him and know he can play. If the Capitals can't find room, they have to waive him and they might not want to go that route.”
That kind of availability is exactly why Toronto should be paying close attention. The Maple Leafs have leaned on their stars all season, with Auston Matthews and William Nylander doing plenty of the heavy lifting, but the bottom six hasn’t provided nearly enough scoring. That’s been a major talking point since opening night, and it’s why a young forward with upside is so appealing.
Miroshnichenko would give the Leafs something they need now and something they can build around later. He could eventually replace Jack Roslovic when his contract runs out, and he’d immediately add punch to the middle six. In a group that could use more speed and more offense, that matters.
The fit also gets cleaner when you look at Toronto’s projected structure. Colton Sissons could slide to the fourth line with Brandon Duhaime and Teddy Blueger, giving the Leafs a hard, defensive shutdown unit. That would free up Roslovic to skate with Nick Paul and Gavin McKenna, while Miroshnichenko would slot beside John Tavares and Easton Cowan on the second line.
That setup would look like this:
Marchenko - Matthews - Nylander
Miroshnichenko - Tavares - Cowan
McKenna - Paul - Roslovic
Duhaime - Sissons - Blueger
It’s a top nine with real scoring upside, and it also gives Toronto a chance to start building chemistry among the younger pieces. McKenna, Cowan, Marchenko and Miroshnichenko would have a chance to grow together, whether that’s at 5v5 or on the power play.
Miroshnichenko, 22, has six goals and 14 points in 53 games for Washington since going 20th overall in 2022. Injuries have been part of the story, but so has opportunity, or the lack of it.
If the Capitals can’t make room, Toronto would be wise to take the swing. He may not be a finished product yet, but the chance to find out what he can become is exactly the kind of move the Leafs can’t afford to miss.
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Toronto does not sound ready to make a dramatic move, but the discussion around Rielly is clearly shifting from concern to decision-making. The Leafs would like a version of him that looks closer to the player they expected, yet the path to getting there may involve uncomfortable lineup adjustments or, eventually, a bigger reset. For a team that has leaned on him for so long, even the possibility of a reduced role says plenty about where things stand. [Read more 🡒]