Two impact defensemen made available for trade; either one would vastly improve the Leafs' D corps
The Leafs are expected to see a lot of turnover this summer with the laundry list of UFAs and RFAs in Toronto. There is reason to believe, given the departure of Justin Holl this summer, that the Leafs may be in the market for a defenseman. With what we know about Brad Treliving and how he likes to build a strong blueline, we may even see more than one move for the Leafs' D corps this summer.
While the Leafs haven't really been connected to anyone aside from Luke Schenn thus far, there are a pair of of defenders who, just yesterday, landed in the rumour mill. Those two defensemen are Erik Karlsson (SJS) and Brett Pesce (CAR).
On Karlsson, we know that there was a lot of talk before this past trade deadline that he may end up being dealt. At the time, Karlsson, who has a full NMC and 4 years left on his contract, wasn't entirely sure whether he wanted to remain in San Jose or waive his NMC for a deal to a preferred destination. Karlsson admitted to he and his family being happy living in San Jose, but it would appear as though their priorities may have changed over the last few months. Now, Karlsson and the team appear to be much more in line with the idea of a trade.
On Pesce, he has one year remaining on his current deal and has been connected to the Leafs in the past. Pesce doesn't have any trade protection built into his deal, so the Hurricanes are able to deal him freely to the highest bidder and the player will have no control over his landing spot. There's still some belief that Pesce and the Canes would like to get a deal done, but the Hurricanes have just announced that if a contract extension isn't signed (presumably on or around July 1st), the team will trade him.
I'm sure Treliving will keep a close eye on both players, but with Karlsson having full control over where he lands, I'd say he's probably not the most likely candidate to land in Toronto, especially given his history with the Ottawa Senators. Pesce, on the other hand, seems like a prime trade target for the Leafs, assuming he'd agree to sign an extension in Toronto.
With Holl departing via free agency this summer, Pesce would provide the Leafs with a tangible upgrade on the right side, but the keys here are whether or not the Leafs can acquire him for a fair price and whether or not he'd sign an extension with the Leafs.
With just 12 days left until the draft and 15 days left until free agency, things are about to pick up around the NHL.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 16 | 494 ANSWERS Two impact defensemen made available for trade; either one would vastly improve the Leafs' D corps Should the Leafs take a swing on either one of Brett Pesce or Erik Karlsson on the blueline? | ||
| Karlsson | 87 | 17.6 % |
| Pesce | 238 | 48.2 % |
| Both | 62 | 12.6 % |
| Neither | 107 | 21.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
