Leafs reportedly shopping their first round pick
The NBA Draft has come and gone and with it came a lot of blockbuster trades prior to the event. There were persistent rumours about movement at the draft, big names were being linked and dangled, yet at the end of the day not much transpired in the 6-hour showcase - granted, both rounds are completed in the same night.
For the first time in recent memory, the NHL Draft holds as much intrigue and interest as the NBA but hopefully for the NHL's sake, the incessant trade rumours come to fruition and make the event even more monumental than it is.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period tweeted earlier today that the Edmonton Oilers are in the market for a top-6 winger and a top-4 defenseman, the St. Louis Blues are trying to dangle picks 25 and 29, the Washington Capitals might try to leapfrog the Philadelphia Flyers - who are trying to add another first round pick as well - in an attempt to draft Matvei Michkov. The Toronto Maple Leafs were also mentioned by Pagnotta, who revealed that his sources have told him that the Leafs are shopping their 28th pick for immediate help.
Bob McKenzie mentioned yesterday that there's a good chance Michkov falls to either the Flyers at 7 or the Capitals at 8. The Russian phenom would fit like a glove on the Capitals who have been a haven for Russian stars over the past decade and a half, while the Flyers don't mind that his contract runs through 2026.
As for the Blues, they find themselves in the same position as the Maple Leafs in trying to move out of the bottom of the first round for immediate help. Several rebuilding teams want to add a first round pick to their repertoire, so a trade isn't entirely far-fetched.
The draft is supposed to be loaded and deep so if the Leafs can't move the pick, they will still be drafting a really good young player like Oliver Bonk or Gavin Brindley, but it's not entirely necessary for what they're trying to accomplish for the more immediate future.
It was reported that both the Blues and the Leafs were in the market for Scott Laughton with the Flyers not interested in just the 28th pick from Toronto and wanting more than one of the Blues first round picks and a second round pick.
With the increasingly weak free agent class of 2023, a trade is probably the best bet for the Maple Leafs to improve as they don't need to overpay market value for a middling free agent. Last year they moved out of the first round to get out of Petr Mrazek's contract but this year, they're looking for an impactful player on a friendly contract to help them moving forward.
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