The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to be one of the more active teams ahead of the NHL trade deadline. But thanks to the most recent report, there is a player that they might trade that is more surprising than most.
While the Leafs are almost certainly going to trade pending free agents Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton if they don't agree to new contracts in the next 48 hours, and there is a large possibility that a defenseman or two, such as Oliver Ekman-Larsson, could also be moved, there has been little traction or rumblings or chatter about anyone else. We've seen speculation on the Leafs tearing everything down aside from Auston Matthews and William Nylander, but that feels a little more dramatic.
Well, according to one NHL insider, they are very, very likely to trade another established player that is just on his first season with the team.
NHL insider says Maple Leafs will trade Nicolas Roy
On Tuesday's episode of Ray & Dregs, NHL insider Darren Dreger clarified where the Maple Leafs sit and made a very firm prediction just days before the trade deadline.
"There is some speculation around Nicolas Roy," Dreger said. "As a third-line center, is he capable of shouldering that loud -- whether it's Edmonton or somewhere else -- even though there's nothing etched in stone ... When you're the Toronto Maple Leafs, you're looking at everything, right? Aside from the obvious few, there are no untouchables. And the belief is that Nicolas Roy will get traded."
While it isn't extremely surprising, it's a little jarring that the player they got from the Vegas Golden Knights in return for Mitch Marner's signing rights, and a very good centerman, is going to be on the move.
On any team, Roy is very valuable. The 29-year-old center is under contract through next season at a bargain $3-million AAV and while the Leafs are certainly sliding down the standings, if they want to turn this around fairly quickly, they could use a player like Roy in the near future.
It all depends on the trade return, of course, and if the Leafs get something like a first-round pick for a Stanley Cup contender to solidify their bottom six, or even something like a second-round pick and a solid prospect, it could make sense.
With this Leafs team trying to do a quick retool, no one really knows how the trades are going to look and certainly who might get dealt first.