Multiple Offers on the Table for Jacob Trouba; Is One of Them From the Maple Leafs?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been on a mission to improve their blueline for decades, and this season, a vastly improved blueline is one of the reasons why the Leafs are first in the Atlantic Division.

The additions of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Chris Tanev have really changed the look on the back end and both players bring some pretty important intangibles to the table.

While the blueline has improved, there is always room for additional improvements, and we know that the current Leafs' management group and coaching staff links big, tough defensemen. That's why the latest Jacob Trouba news could be of interest to the Leafs.

Per multiple reports, including one from NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun, the Rangers have several offers sitting on the table right now for Rangers captain Jacob Trouba and he is expected to either be traded or waived on Friday.

LeBrun isn't mentioning the names of the teams with offers on the table, but is there a chance here for the Maple Leafs to swoop in and nab one of the hardest hitting defenders in the league? Maybe.

Trouba has mastered the art of landing thunderous hits and not getting suspended for them. Now, obviously, the goal is never to hurt a guy, but Trouba has injured many a player with what Player Safety have deemed to be clean hits.

His 1,578 career hits over 12 seasons show how he likes to play the game and his 1,654 career shot blocks show that Trouba is also committed to the defensive aspects of the game. He also has 315 career points across 772 NHL games, so he can chip in offensively on occasion as well.

It's anyone's guess whether the Leafs have any irons in the fire here, but with Trouba's cap hit being a lofty one ($8M AAV through 2025-26), if the Leafs do want to make a move, there would have to be considerable retention from the Rangers or the Leafs would have to send some salary back to New York or pull off a trade with another team to open up some cap space.

It may be a pipe dream, but stranger things have happened in the NHL.