Insider identifies two defensemen in Philadelphia that may interest the Maple Leafs
With the Leafs having placed John Klingberg on LTIR on Thursday, opening up $4.15M in cap space, the fanbase has begun to speculate that this could expedite a deal for a defenseman like Nikita Zadorov or Chris Tanev. Obviously, TSN's Darren Dreger was quick to pour cold water on that idea on Friday, suggesting that Klingberg may not be ruled out for the year just yet and that he could, in theory, return at some point this season if his injury situation improves.
Dreger was on TSN 1050's First Up this morning and discussed the Klingberg situation and how it was too premature to confirm that he was done for the season, but he also touched on the fact that, if Klingberg does end up missing the rest of the year, there are more candidates than just Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev that make sense for the Leafs to take a look at.
"On Insider Trading, I talked about a couple of [defensemen] - and I'm not connecting them to Toronto... you've got Nick Seeler, who's having a real good year, and Sean Walker. I mean, those are two defenseman that you don't talk about day-to-day, but they're 20+ minute defensemen for the Philadelphia Flyers and they're both having good years. 29, 30 years of age, one's a right shot, the other's a left shot. You wouldn't have to overpay - I don't think - to get those pieces. But despite where the Philadelphia Flyers are in the standings, they know where they're at looking forward. They're trying to fortify their foundation so that they can transition more quickly than going through a full renovation. Maybe one of those two guys helps your third pairing and can play some time in your second pairing if needed, so there are options that are starting to surface that go beyond the Calgary Flames."
Seeler, 30, has played in all 19 games for the Flyers this season, amassing 4 assists and currently sitting at +10 on the season, with 30 penalty minutes. Conversely, Walker, the more offensive-minded of the two, is 29 years of age, a native of Keswick, Ontario and has 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points on the year and is a +6 through 19 games.
Neither of these names is as flashy or recognizable as Zadorov or Tanev, but could provide the Leafs with some stability on the blueline for a lesser price tag. Now, should "cheaping out" be the idea here? No, not necessarily, but bringing in a defenseman with a lower price tag sooner rather than later would also leave the Leafs with some money to potentially be able to spend at the trade deadline, which could make a huge difference when trying to check some boxes a little closer to playoff time.
It's really anyone's guess how Brad Treliving will handle his blueline over the next few weeks, but if/when we have more clarity on Klingberg, it will be a little easier to determine the most likely option. Whether that involves a deal with Calgary, Philadelphia or another team remains to be seen.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 24 | 234 ANSWERS Insider identifies two defensemen in Philadelphia that may interest the Maple Leafs Do you think Nick Seeler or Sean Walker moves the needle at all in Toronto? | ||
| No, replacement level guys | 103 | 44 % |
| Seeler would be a nice add | 40 | 17.1 % |
| Walker would be a nice add | 33 | 14.1 % |
| I like them both, personally | 58 | 24.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
