Some teams with whom the Leafs are discussing a trade have been revealed
Friday's trade deadline is fast approaching and with the Leafs still looking for defensive help and perhaps an upgrade in the middle of the ice, we're beginning to see some teams emerge as real potential trade partners for GM Brad Treliving.
The Leafs hosted the Boston Bruins last night in another Original Six matchup after having beaten the New York Rangers on Saturday night. Unfortunately, last night was the Bruins' night and the Leafs were handed a 4-1 loss on home ice. The Bruins exposed the Leafs' most glaring need, which is, to no one's surprise, on the blueline.
To that end, the Leafs welcomed scouts from 7 teams to Scotiabank Arena on Monday, which should give us some indication of whom they're having ongoing discussions. The 7 teams with representatives present last night were the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens. I have to admit, I was surprised to see a few contending teams on this list, including the likes of Dallas and Carolina.
We know that the Leafs held extensive talks with the Ducks, as they had just acquired Ilya Lyubushkin from Anaheim last week, so perhaps there are also conversations happening surrounding Brantford, Ontario's own Adam Henrique there. Henrique would provide a tangible upgrade for the Leafs at 3C and may allow them to shift one of John Tavares or Max Domi to the wing.
Brad Treliving also scouted the Los Angeles Kings in person in recent weeks, so there's certainly some smoke there as well. As for the Blackhawks and Canadiens, well, we know they're both well-established sellers. David Savard probably makes the most sense out of Montreal, but when it comes to the Blackhawks, it's really anyone's guess whom the Leafs may have their sights set on.
Of all of these teams, however, it's the Pittsburgh Penguins that shocks me the most. I wouldn't have assumed that Kyle Dubas would be in any rush to help out the Leafs ahead of the trade deadline. However, it's entirely possible that since Dubas was able to move up from his position as GM of the Leafs to President of the Pens, maybe he's okay with simply burying the hatchet and moving on if he thinks there's a deal to be made there.
There are just 3 days remaining until Friday's 3pm ET trade deadline, so it will be interesting to see how many scouts attend these last two Leafs games on Wednesday and Thursday before March 8th and if there's any repeat reps in Toronto on Wednesday or Boston on Thursday.
| POLL | ||
MARS 5 | 246 ANSWERS Some teams with whom the Leafs are discussing a trade have been revealed Which team is the best potential trade partner for the Leafs? | ||
| Los Angeles | 69 | 28 % |
| Anaheim | 117 | 47.6 % |
| Pittsburgh | 60 | 24.4 % |
| Other | 0 | 0 % |
| List of polls | ||
