One of the biggest question marks is how the Leafs will address their needs ahead of the deadline. Some are standing firm that defense is the biggest need, while others believe that the team needs help in the 2nd line LW slot. There are a myriad of ways that the Leafs can address these needs and if they decide to move some money around, they may be able to address both needs.
In years past, the reporting on the Leafs was far more lively than it has been this season. The truth of the matter is, nobody really knows what the Leafs are going to do because of how tight-lipped the organization has been. There aren't nearly as many rumours because nobody within the organization has been leaking anything to the media. On Friday, Elliotte Friedman revealed just how tough it's been to come by reliable information in Toronto this season and why he's been more hesitant than usual to report what he's hearing.
This past year, we saw first hand just how serious Dubas is about keeping negotiations out of the media. Dubas very publicly called out Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson for leaking some of their discussions surrounding a potential Marc-Andre Fleury trade to members of the media. While the two rival GM's have apparently buried the hatchet, it's very clear that Dubas does not want the media knowing his business and reporting it to the hockey world live as it all unfolds. I guess that explains why things are a little quieter at this year's deadline and why we may not know what Dubas has in store until it happens.