Leafs and Hawks actively discussing trade for defenseman
With the price top tier defenseman are moving for ahead of Monday's trade deadline, it would seem that the Leafs have slightly altered their approach. Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported this afternoon that the Leafs have held discussions with the Hawks regarding defenseman Calvin de Haan.
De Haan is not as flashy of a name as the likes of Lindholm or Giordano, but he is a dependable, defensive defenseman that isn't afraid of throwing hits or blocking shots. Not big in stature, standing at 6'1 and 195 pounds, de Haan currently has 140 blocks and 110 hits with Chicago this season.
At 30 years old, a cap hit of $4.55 million and a UFA at the end of the season, de Haan is a much friendlier fit for the Leafs under the cap constraints than Giordano or Lindholm and would thus cost the Leafs less than if they needed a team to retain some salary.
De Haan would slide nicely into a bottom pairing role and if needed could move to the second pair in a pinch, but he would certainly see time on the penalty kill where his shot blocking would be beneficial given the Leafs' goaltending issues of late.
| POLL | ||
MARS 17 | 251 ANSWERS Leafs and Hawks actively discussing trade for defenseman Would Calvin de Haan be a smart acquisition by Kyle Dubas | ||
| For sure - and he wouldn't break the bank | 86 | 34.3 % |
| No - the Leafs need a bigger fish | 76 | 30.3 % |
| Honestly, I trust Dubas to do his job | 52 | 20.7 % |
| None of it matters if we don't have a goalie | 37 | 14.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
