Toronto landed a first-pairing defenseman, but it cost the Maple Leafs two prospects and a first-rounder. We grade both general managers on the swap.
Maple Leafs get: D Jake Muzzin
Kings get: W Carl Grundstrom, D Sean Durzi, 2019 first-round pick
Toronto Maple Leafs: A-
It should come as no surprise that the 29-year-old Muzzin, a darling of the analytics movement for years, would end up with GM Kyle Dubas and the Maple Leafs, sworn disciples of that movement. He plays in every situation and 21:32 on average per game. He is a possession monster who remains on the plus side of goal differential (plus-10) despite the Kings being an atrocious minus-36 as a team. He is a solid, veteran, top-pairing-level defender on a team that needed one.
Some might argue that Muzzin's prestige is a product of his defense partner, Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty, and those critics would have a point: Muzzin and Doughty posted incredible numbers when they played together, including a 62.07 percent share of the goals scored at 5-on-5 as defense partners from 2016 to 2019. But the reality is that they haven't played all that much together (a shade over 800 total minutes) in the past few seasons -- and Muzzin's numbers are still remarkably good (52.14 Corsi for percentage, 51.77 percent of the scoring chances at even strength) without Doughty, having played mostly with Alec Martinez.
But Muzzin's pairing with Doughty is an important note here for the Leafs. Muzzin was a great complementary defenseman to a puck-moving, offensive star on the blue line. With Toronto, Muzzin likely is going to play that role again, lining up next to top defenseman Morgan Rielly, who is in the midst of a career year, with 50 points in 49 games, 34 of them coming at even strength. Rielly already has had a Norris-caliber season with what's left of Ron Hainsey as his partner -- and Kyle Dubas just gifted him Jake Muzzin. That's pretty nice of the GM (and bolsters the defense by allowing some players to drop down the lineup).
If there's a knock on the trade, it's that Muzzin doesn't fulfill the Leafs' need for a quality right-handed shot on defense. Like Rielly, Muzzin is a lefty. But Muzzin said, "We'll figure something out" when it comes to finding the right fit.
Otherwise, this is a really strong deal for the Leafs. Muzzin is signed through the 2019-20 season at a $4 million cap hit, giving the Leafs financial flexibility now and later. The return to the Kings includes two good prospects and a first-round pick, but Dubas protected some of his best assets in the trade. (Which is why, in the end, he snagged a great lefty instead of an elite righty in the deal.)
What Dubas likes about this deal, from an intangible standpoint, is that Muzzin brings those "rings in the room" that a burgeoning contender always looks for. Muzzin won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014, with 12 points and skating 23:24 on average in 26 postseason games.
Perhaps the best part about this deal for the Leafs? Buying early. Muzzin gets time to assimilate. No bidding wars, no ticking clock wackiness. Indeed, Toronto gets its man a month before the deadline.
Los Angeles Kings: A-
There's a certain amount of disappointment that the Kings didn't acquire any of the Leafs' grade-A prospects for Muzzin, who certainly had value given his résumé, his contract and his age. Neither Timothy Liljegren nor Rasmus Sandin nor Andreas Johnsson nor Kasperi Kapanen was part of this deal.
Grundstrom, a 21-year-old Swede, has 29 points in 42 games in his first full season in the American Hockey League, having been drafted No. 57 overall in 2016. He is a tenacious forechecker and a pesky type that was a B-level prospect, according to our Chris Peters. But he could have some nice offensive upside.
Durzi, 20, drafted No. 52 overall in 2018, is playing for the Guelph Storm of the OHL after a trade in that league earlier this month. He has put up impressive numbers in the OHL, including going over a point-per-game pace in 2017-18 with Owen Sound. Peters had him as a B-level prospect, but he could project higher. And he is a right-handed defenseman, as well.
The first-rounder will be a low one, to be sure, as the Maple Leafs are seventh in the league in points. But it's a deep draft class.
In the end, this return is reminiscent of what the New York Rangers snagged for Ryan McDonagh last trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was around the same age and signed for an additional season. We gave the Rangers an A for that one. We'll tick this one down just a notch for GM Rob Blake, but it's still a strong return for a player who wasn't in the Kings' rebuilding plans.