No. 3: Adam Boqvist
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been reportedly looking to trade a defenseman and Adam Boqvist seems like a logical choice to be traded.
The 23-year-old has been a healthy scratch already this season and it feels like a new home could do him a lot of good.
The former first round pick has a ton of potential and has shown a lot of offensive upside at times, but for whatever reason it hasn’t been working lately.
He’s different than the other two defenseman we mentioned because those players are a lot more defensively sounded, while Boqvist is more offensive-minded.
Based on him being more offensive than defensive, that could be an issue if Toronto were to acquire him, as they might need a different type of player, but at the same time, he does still have a ton of potential and is on a great contract.
If I’m Leafs management, I’d be doing a ton of scouting and due-diligence on Boqvist because I think that he can be productive in the right situation.
He may not provide the same physicality as the other defenseman, but I do think there’s a chance that he could shine in a new market.
Former top-10 defenseman don’t become available every day, so don’t be surprised if the Leafs are in on Boqvist if McCabe’s injury is more serious than expected.