Two names in New Jersey that could interest the Leafs
The Leafs are expected to be one of the busier teams this summer as they look to find a recipe for success over the course of the next couple of months. Nobody is ruling out a major change at the draft or a big free agency splash, but if the Leafs don't want to move a member of the Core 4, we could be in for another summer where it's just a bevy of smaller moves as new GM Brad Treliving tinkers around the edges.
In the last week, we have seen a couple of big moves involving the Columbus Blue Jackets, who first traded for Flyers blueliner Ivan Provorov and then completed a sign-and-trade with New Jersey for defenseman Damon Severson. As The Athletic's Kevin Kurz pointed out on June 10th, we could yet see another sign-and-trade or two from the Devils.
Two players who might make some sense for the Leafs out of New Jersey are Miles Wood and Ryan Graves. The Leafs don't exactly have a lot of draft picks available over the next season or two, so if they did wish to make a deal with the Devils, it would likely have to either be future picks or prospects.
Both Wood and Graves are pending UFAs, like Severson was. Neither player is as high profile, and the Devils received a 3rd round pick as compensation from the Blue Jackets for helping to facilitate the sign-and-trade, so it would stand to reason that neither Wood nor Graves would break the bank in terms of compensation in a sign-and-trade scenario.
Of course, the option of just waiting a couple of weeks for free agency exists as well and trying to sign one or both of them on their own terms without having to part with picks or prospects to get a deal done early. However, Kurz seems to believe that Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald would prefer to get something back for each player, so he wouldn't be surprised if one or both players' negotiating rights are moved.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 12 | 264 ANSWERS Two names in New Jersey that could interest the Leafs Should the Leafs take a swing at either of Miles Wood or Ryan Graves in New Jersey? | ||
| Graves yes, Wood no | 60 | 22.7 % |
| Wood yes, Graves no | 28 | 10.6 % |
| Neither | 113 | 42.8 % |
| Both | 63 | 23.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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