Toronto Maple Leafs Need To Stay Away From Cam Fowler

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked to Cam Fowler before, and as long as he’s in the rumor mill that will likely continue.

There’s a theme around the NHL that involves pumping Cam Fowler up as something he’s not, and the Toronto Maple Leafs need to avoid buying what the Ducks are selling.

There’s a difference in playing in a team’s top four and actually being a top four defender.

Morgan Rielly is a top four defender. Jake Gardiner is a top four defender. Cam Fowler isn’t nearly as good as either of those players, and the asking price for Fowler is currently outrageous.

From Spector’s Hockey (speculation on a Red Wings scenario, though Leafs are mentioned in the original link):

St. James also believes adding an impact defenseman “is going to cost in the range of a high-end pick or prospect, plus likely an established 20-something forward”. (Helen St. James)

Tomas Tatar and a first-round pick or a top prospect could be the asking price. (Lyle Richardson)

If that’s the return that Cam Fowler can generate, Jake Gardiner should be able to bring in Connor McDavid. I’m joking, of course, but you get my point: Cam Fowler’s rumored return is insane.

*Own The Puck

With Rielly and Gardiner already securing a strong left side in the top four, Fowler would be the third pairing defender on the left side – and I don’t really care for that, either. Martin Marincin is underrated and completely capable of playing a better general game than Fowler – and he’s already done it.

Marincin doesn’t provide much in the way of score-sheet offense, but that’s not what the Leafs want him to do. They have Rielly, Gardiner and Zaitsev to move the puck and get points.

The Toronto Maple Leafs need to stay far, far away from the Cam Fowler discussions and focus on a group of defenders who are better than Fowler whom they already own.

Cam Fowler’s value is significantly overblown and he doesn’t fit with the Toronto Maple Leafs future. Kudos to Bob Murray if he can get a team to overpay for Fowler, but Leafs fans should be disappointed if there’s weighted rumors of interest in the Ducks defender.