Leafs reportedly withdraw from the Jakob Chychrun sweepstakes
Earlier this season, when the Arizona Coyotes had made teams aware that they would listen to offers on 23-year-old defenseman Jakob Chychrun, the Toronto Maple Leafs were rumoured to be among those interested, with Leafs GM Kyle Dubas reportedly having "kicked tires" on the 2nd generation NHLer.
It appears as though the Leafs may be preparing to steer in a bit of a different direction as NHL Insider Darren Dreger reported on Insider Trading this week that the Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks and Boston Bruins are among the teams most interested in acquiring Chychrun's services.
At one point, Dubas revealed that the Buds were looking specifically for players with term rather than getting involved in the rental market once again this season. The primary reason for that is obviously that there are risks involved with paying assets for a rental. Just last season, the Leafs dealt a 1st round pick and a pair of 4th round picks for veteran forward Nick Foligno with double salary retention. What they ended up with was a handful of regular season games, a total of 4 playoff games and another early postseason exit.
The Buds already made one move for a defender in February, acquiring the defensively sound Ilya Lyubushkin from the Coyotes in exchange for Nick Ritchie and a conditional draft pick. Lyubushkin, also a pending UFA, has fit in well early on and has certainly addressed a need, but a bigger piece may yet be required if the Leafs hope to avoid disappointment in early May.
