Insider identifies the Leafs as a potential fit for highly coveted Central Division defenseman
This upcoming trade deadline is going to be an interesting one for the Toronto Maple Leafs. At this point, nobody really knows which way the Leafs are leaning. There have been reports linking the Buds to each of the 4 major trade pieces in Jakob Chychrun, Patrick Kane, Ryan O'Reilly and Bo Horvat. There have also been reports that the Leafs may elect to avoid spending on a big name and instead go after a pair of players - one up front and one on the back end.
In the past, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has shown that he prefers to seek out players with term remaining on their contracts, rather than seeking out trade pieces on expiring deals. Of the names listed above, only Chychrun fits that criteria. Add to that the fact that Dubas and Leafs' director of player personnel, Dave Morrison, were just scouting the Coyotes and Flyers in Philly this week in person, and it stands to reason that the Buds are really doing their due diligence here.
Chychrun is not the only blueliner that the Leafs may have interest in, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli. During his most recent trade deadline countdown article, Seravalli lists Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm as a potential fit for the Leafs at or ahead of the deadline as well.
Per Seravalli, the Leafs still fall in the "long shot" category for Ekholm, who carries a $6.25M for 3 more seasons after this one. Seravalli pointed to Ekholm as the Leafs' potential Jake Muzzin replacement.
Standing at 6'4 and 215 lbs, Ekholm is no pushover and has been one of the better left shot top-4 defensemen in the league for a lengthy number of seasons. While another big contract is not necessarily what the Leafs may need, there's no denying that Ekholm makes their blueline better immediately.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 7 | 127 ANSWERS Insider identifies the Leafs as a potential fit for highly coveted Central Division defenseman Will the Leafs land Mattias Ekholm? | ||
| Yes | 27 | 21.3 % |
| No | 73 | 57.5 % |
| Not before the deadline; maybe in the offseason | 27 | 21.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
