The Ducks are now open for business and the Leafs have interest in 3 of their players
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman made some waves on Tuesday when he announced that Anaheim Ducks GM Pat Verbeek had essentially opened the door for business.
Per Friedman, Verbeek has reached out to other GM's from around the league to inform them that he'd take calls on any and all free agents, which should make for a very interesting trade deadline. Of course, as Friedman also pointed out, this doesn't necessarily mean that any or all of Rakell, Manson and Lindholm will be moved - it just means that Verbeek is covering his bases in case extensions cannot be reached with these players and others.
The Leafs have been linked, with differing levels to all 3 of the big-name pending UFA's in Anaheim, Lindholm most recently, and since their primary area of focus is expected to be on defense at the deadline, I'd assume that Verbeek and Dubas have already spoken. If they have not, I'd anticipate that happening at some point this week.
Verbeek is expected to continue negotiating contract extensions with all 3 of Rakell, Manson and Lindholm, so there's still a chance that deals can be reached for any or all of these 3 impact players. If the Ducks do decide to move them, there will be no shortage of potential suitors.
| POLL | ||
MARS 8 | 295 ANSWERS The Ducks are now open for business and the Leafs have interest in 3 of their players Which Duck should the Leafs inquire on? | ||
| Rakell | 46 | 15.6 % |
| Manson | 119 | 40.3 % |
| Lindholm | 97 | 32.9 % |
| None of the above | 33 | 11.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
