Insider reveals some intriguing new names expected to be moved before the trade deadline
The trade deadline is always a date that hockey fans circle on the calendar every season, largely due to the excitement of all of the movement around the league. Last year, we saw the likes of Ryan O'Reilly, Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko and Bo Horvat moved before the deadline, among others. That's a LOT of star power. This year, it looks a little less top-heavy, but there are still plenty of intriguing names out there.
The Leafs have been linked to a number of players ahead of this year's deadline at the beginning of March, including Chris Tanev, Ilya Lyubushkin, Jake Allen, and Sean Walker, but now there are a couple of other names that The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta is reporting that are likely to be moved before the deadline who might entice the Maple Leafs as well.
During his most recent post for TFP, Pagnotta listed the likes of Jakob Chychrun, Vladimir Tarasenko, David Savard, Victor Olofsson, Adam Boqvist, Jordan Eberle and Torey Krug among his "Trade Watch List 2024". He also listed Penguins star Jake Guentzel as a bubble player who may be moved if the Penguins can't find a way to extend him before the deadline.
With the Leafs' most pressing need being on the blueline, I'm sure Brad Treliving either will check in or has already checked in on Chychrun, Savard, Boqvist and Krug. We already know that their level of interest is high on Tanev.
It's important to note that the Leafs are primarily looking for a right shot defenseman, so Tanev, Savard and Boqvist all fit the bill. Chychrun has also spent some time on the right side and can play there in a pinch. Krug would be a nice piece to have from an offensive perspective, but the fact that he shoots left and may have the Leafs on his 15-team no-trade list may rule him out.
Certainly some interesting pieces out there. I'll be curious to see if the Leafs do end up pursuing an upgrade before the deadline or if they'll hold off on buying this year and save their best trade chips for next season.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 16 | 1058 ANSWERS Insider reveals some intriguing new names expected to be moved before the trade deadline If the Leafs could only acquire one of the following defensemen, who would you prefer they go after? | ||
| Jakob Chychrun | 431 | 40.7 % |
| Chris Tanev | 417 | 39.4 % |
| Torey Krug | 116 | 11 % |
| David Savard | 94 | 8.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
