The NHL’s official roster freeze ahead of the Olympics hasn’t stopped Maple Leafs rumors from hitting the wire.
While teams cannot officially make deals at this point, they can, nonetheless, talk and reach handshake agreements.
That appears to be the case with the Toronto Maple Leafs. According to insider David Pagnotta, the Leafs have been talking trade with another notable partner, the Edmonton Oilers.
During the February 4 edition of DFO Rundown, Pagnotta discussed how Maple Leafs rumors could pick up with regard to a potential deal with the Oilers.
“Going into this freeze, there was talk that Edmonton and Toronto were engaged in conversation.”
Pagnotta singled out a particular name that’s been in Maple Leafs rumors recently. However, the insider made it clear this player was not part of the discussion at this point.
“I know there’s speculation about Bobby McMann. I was told he wasn’t part of these talks.”
Interestingly enough, Pagnotta ventured to guess two potential names that could be part of the Oilers’ interest in the Maple Leafs.
“I wonder if it’s a Nic Roy, I wonder if it’s an Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who’s only got a $3.5 million cap hit.”
Considering the Leafs are within striking distance of a playoff spot, Pagnotta affirmed the club will continue listening on their players. So, it might be a matter of time before Maple Leafs rumors begin picking up on several players in Toronto.
Maple Leafs Rumors Could Shift amid Winning Streak
Toronto won three in a row heading into the Olympics. They capped off a convincing 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers in their final game on Tuesday night. That situation has fueled speculation about what the Maple Leafs might do moving forward.
Entering Thursday night’s action, the Leafs are six points out of the second wild card spot. That gap could be far too close to prompt the Leafs to just give up on the season.
As such, Maple Leafs rumors could shift. While Toronto may not necessarily become all-in buyers, they could embark on a hybrid deadline. In other words, the club could be both a buyer and a seller.
In other words, the Leafs may figure that addition by subtraction could be a good way of helping the club find pieces necessary to make one last push for a playoff spot.
Leafs May Have Big Trade Up Their Sleeves
While Maple Leafs rumors haven’t really hinted at anything major, the team could have a big trade up its sleeves.
There are some intriguing pieces out there. Moreover, some teams are dangling promising young players as part of their offers for bona fide pieces.
So, what’s stopping the Maple Leafs from shipping out one or two core pieces, like McMann and Ekman-Larsson, if the move can yield solid young pieces to retool on the fly?
Such a move would be more oriented towards the future. But at this point, Maple Leafs rumors could likely focus on the team’s long-term sustainability ahead of short-term gains. Missing the playoffs this season, while certainly catastrophic, could be a blessing in disguise in the long run.
Maple Leafs Rumors: Toronto, Edmonton Talking Trade