Leafs dodged a bullet in back-to-back deadlines, as previous trade target now at risk of being bought out this summer
For one reason or another, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had a longstanding interest in forward Mikael Granlund and were reportedly close to acquiring him in consecutive seasons in 2021 and 2022. The Nashville Predators were hesitant at the time and decided not to move him.
Fast forward a calendar year and Ron Hextall acquired Granlund from the Predators for a 2nd round pick in 2023 at this year's trade deadline. It was a move that not only shocked the NHL but probably put the nail in his coffin as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, as Granlund had term remaining at a pretty substantial cap hit.
Granlund scored 1 goal and added 4 assists in 21 games with the Penguins, who failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in Sidney Crosby's career. According to Frank Seravalli, the Leafs were closing in on a deal for Granlund last year. In 2020-21 he scored 13 goals and 27 points in 51 games and in 2021-22 he scored 11 goals and 64 points in 80 games.
As we dig deeper, David Pagnotta from The Fourth Period tweeted back in July of 2021, that Granlund was on the Leafs' radar that summer and was a player that peaked Dubas' interest during the season as well. In March of 2021, TSN had a round-table discussion that included Seravalli mentioning how the Leafs had called Nashville about his availability but the Predators backed out because they weren't sure where they stood in the playoff race at the time and whether or not they wanted to rid themselves of certain players.
Now that Dubas is in Pittsburgh, one has to wonder if he keeps Granlund around or ships him out with 2 years remaining with a cap hit of $5 million through 2024-25. He tried bringing him to Toronto on a few occasions but with the Penguins needing new blood, young players, and more cap space, Granlund seems like a viable trade target. However with 2 years remaining on his deal, it seems like a tough sell. There is some belief that Granlund could be a prime candidate for a buyout as well.
| POLL | ||
3 JUIN | 153 ANSWERS Leafs dodged a bullet in back-to-back deadlines, as previous trade target now at risk of being bought out this summer Will the Pens buy out Mikael Granlund this summer? | ||
| Yes | 107 | 69.9 % |
| No | 46 | 30.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
