One of the NHL’s biggest insiders had hot gossip to share on television. We break down all the Toronto Maple Leafs rumours.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a depleted team thanks to the injuries that have plagued the group. Such is the struggle in professional sports, but this team has not had its roster at full strength for even a single game this season. Now they must decide how to address it before the upcoming trade deadline.
Currently, the Leafs are attempting to two of their top defensemen. Jake Muzzin, who will be the first of the pair to return and Morgan Rielly who will be gone for two months. In order to ensure that they don’t slip out of the playoff picture, there is a sense that something needs to be done to fix the blueline. This was the topic of conversation for Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger on TSN’s Insider Trading.
McKenzie used the segment to share that the Leafs have been fielding calls from other clubs. The purpose of those conversations was to try and get deals done to assist Toronto in shoring up their up blueline . . . for a price. McKenzie even shared his beliefs that Kyle Dubas has been reaching out to other general managers to try and find one or more defensemen.
When Dreger asked if the “vultures are circling,” McKenzie explained:
"“Lots of teams around the National Hockey League calling the Toronto Maple Leafs saying, ‘hey, would you like one of our defencemen? We could make you a real sweet deal.’ And I suspect the Leafs are making some calls of their own on that front….…he idea of trading for another defenceman is not entirely out of the question. But here’s where it gets complicated….One other thing to note. Very preliminary and I stress, very preliminary, the Leafs have talked to Jake Muzzin about a contract extension but it’s just getting going.”"
Is Shea Weber a Leafs Target?
The conversation continued with the TSN panel, leading them to question whether Montreal Canadiens veteran defenseman Shea Weber could be a trade target for Dubas. Leafs fans have been calling for his acquisition on social media.
It is important to note that Weber is both highly paid and locked up long term. According to CapFriendly, Weber’s cap hit is $7,857,143. That will still be his AAV for the 2025-26 season when Weber is 40 years old.
While it may be something that the Leafs would consider exploring, Marc Bergevin has put the possibility of a trade to bed. He has been on record saying that the team is not looking to move Weber at this time and he’s still considered a valuable veteran presence in the locker room.
Which Leafs Might Be Moved
The Maple Leafs do need to consider making a deal to ensure that they have a strong defensive unit going into the postseason. If such a transaction is simply to help the team get there, management needs to resist the urge to move away affordable young talent to make that happen.
With its current squad, even with its injuries, Toronto appears to be playoff-bound. A trade that makes sense for them would be one that flips offense for defense. This is never a poor decision unless grossly overpaying to do it. Quality defensemen have proven to be more valuable in today’s NHL.
McKenzie identified Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, and Alex Kerfoot to all be potential trade bait.
They may be, but don’t be surprised to see blueliner Cody Ceci also included in an exchange in order to help Toronto with cap flexibility. He’s not the only one who could be on the block. With the depth the Toronto Maple Leafs have on offense, Jeremy Bracco has become an expendable prospect with a high ceiling. He could very well be dangled in order to help a potential deal get finalized.
Muzzin’s Contract
The best news that McKenzie shared was that Muzzin and the Leafs had entered into contract negotiations. It’s a process that we called for back in the summer because of the volume of defensemen that were becoming free agents at season’s end.
Dubas did re-sign Justin Holl for three more years and then extended Martin Marincin for one more at the league minimum salary. It’s an excellent start, but getting Muzzin inked would be a much larger feat. Hopefully, it is not a process that drags on too long.
With the NHL trade deadline just over a month away trades are just certainly imminent. Check back often to editorinleaf.com for the latest update.