The Leafs have once again been linked to Canucks F Conor Garland and they have the pieces necessary to make a deal
The countdown until the 2022 NHL Entry Draft is now just 4 days and there is a lot of excitement about this one, because it's the first time in two years that NHL executives will be able to occupy the same draft floor, thanks to the pandemic.
Not only are we expecting an exciting 1st round of picks, but having GM's mingling with one another on the draft floor before, during and at the conclusion of the draft, it can either lead to deals being made on the draft floor, or the foundations for deals being established on the draft floor and competed in the week that follows, leading up to free agency.
One player who has garnered a lot of interest around the league is Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland. We know that the Canucks are looking to make some changes during the offseason and are hoping to open up some cap space, and moving a player like Garland will not only do that, but could fetch a nice return in the process.
In terms of who appear to be most interested in Garland currently, The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta has suggested that the Oilers, Kraken, Leafs, Blue Jackets and Penguins have all been in contact with the Canucks.
Garland has 4 seasons remaining on his current deal and carries a $4.95M cap hit. The 26-year-old winger also posted a respectable 52 points in 77 games for the Canucks in 2021-22. He should be relatively easy to move based on his production, age, skill set, a reasonable cap hit and no trade protection worked into his contract.
The Leafs have been linked to Garland multiple times, including last summer before he was dealt to the Canucks. In terms of what the Leafs could offer the Canucks, the Buds own their next 3 first round picks, have a bevy of intriguing young prospects and can move a piece like Vancouver native Alexander Kerfoot to fill a spot on the Canucks' roster as the NHL piece. As we all know, these types of deals usually revolve around an NHL player, a pick and a prospect.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 3 | 189 ANSWERS The Leafs have once again been linked to Canucks F Conor Garland and they have the pieces necessary to make a deal If the Leafs swung a deal with the Canucks, who would you like to see coming to Toronto? | ||
| Conor Garland | 59 | 31.2 % |
| J.T. Miller | 94 | 49.7 % |
| Tanner Pearson | 10 | 5.3 % |
| Other/No deal | 26 | 13.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
