Several teams were present to scout the Leafs and Panthers in Toronto; could we see a trade occur soon?
The NHL's trade deadline isn't until March but that won't stop teams from sending scouts and personnel to attend games and see what they can attain for their team either for the present time or down the road in the future.
At tonight's game against the Florida Panthers, Toronto played host to no less than 9 teams, with representatives from teams including: St. Louis, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Vancouver, Nashville (2), Ottawa, Boston, Columbus, and 4 unidentified. It's a healthy mix of contenders and rebuilders and with the Leafs and Panthers seemingly going in opposite directions, it's a good game to scout for whatever route your team is currently on.
The Maple Leafs are 2nd in the Atlantic, 3rd in the East, and 4th in the NHL and have been in the market for top-6 forward help and could obviously look into defensemen as well. They have a valuable first round pick to offer and several prospects that would entice any team.
The Panthers, on the other hand, have struggled after their Presidents Trophy winning season, as they are 4 points out of the final wild card spot but the Pittsburgh Penguins hold 2 games in hand. Without a first round pick this season they will be vying for a playoff spot but they have plenty of veterans that could entice real contenders.
Teams have now gotten into the trend of making big trades well before the deadline to beat out their competitors so it's something to look out for with the deadline still a month and a half away.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 18 | 83 ANSWERS Several teams were present to scout the Leafs and Panthers in Toronto; could we see a trade occur soon? Will the Leafs pull off a trade prior to the end of January? | ||
| Yes | 60 | 72.3 % |
| No | 23 | 27.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
