The first thing is obvious: Dubas wanted to acquire a player with term on his deal and paid a premium to do so. We have already heard that the Leafs prefer term on their potential acquisitions again this year.
They also did their shopping early by acquiring Jake Muzzin on January 28. Now it’s already February — so it won’t be that early — but it also wouldn’t be shocking if the Leafs try to get their shopping done before the actual trade deadline day.
Unlike in years past, the Leafs did not do much as far as hunting for added depth, ending what was becoming an annual tradition of acquiring depth players (Brian Boyle, Tomas Plekanec).