Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan spotted scouting a Western Conference matchup
With the trade deadline now less than 6 weeks away, we're going to hear more and more about scouts and executives appearing at games as teams look to narrow down their trade targets ahead of March 21st.
For the Leafs and GM Kyle Dubas, the club's plans are still up in the air for the deadline, as Dubas had stated on Sunday that he wants to see his team at full health for awhile before he begins to identify what the true areas of need are. That said, it does not necessarily mean that the Buds don't plan to get to work early, scouting teams in advance of the deadline.
To that end, Dubas and Leafs President Brendan Shanahan were spotted in Calgary on Wednesday at the Golden Knights/Flames game. Both teams are expected to make moves at or ahead of the deadline, with the Flames hoping to challenge for a playoff spot, while Vegas will need to unload some salary to make room for the returning Jack Eichel.
It remains unclear whether the Leafs will pursue impact players to play higher up in the lineup or whether it will be a season where they'll look to augment what they already have up top by improving lower in the lineup with some specialist depth adds. We have heard a lot of talk about upgrading on the blueline, so it would surprise me if the Buds did not make a move for an impact defenseman before March 21st.
Of course, the Leafs are in Calgary for a Thursday night matchup with the Flames, so perhaps they were just in attendance to watch the game.
