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NHL Trade Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs pegged to acquire Flames defensemen to strengthen faltering blue line
The Toronto Maple Leafs could be in the market to acquire a defenseman. The Maple Leafs have had a solid off-season, but one weakness some people point to is on the backend. Toronto did sign John Klingberg this summer, but he's an offensive defenseman who struggles defensively.
Sportsnet's Luke Fox wrote in his Mailbag that the Calgary Flames make a lot of sense as trade partners for Toronto, elaborating:
"I believe Treliving will remake the back-end mix before the deadline passes, though that doesn't necessarily mean a Brodie trade.
"I keep thinking about Craig Conroy in Calgary and how the rookie GM shouldn't let Noah Hanifin, Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev walk for nothing. Any one of them instantly improves the Leafs' defense."
On paper, adding one of Noah Hanifin, Nikita Zadarov or Chris Tanev makes a lot of sense. Hanifin has expressed his desire to be traded, and at the deadline, the cost to acquire any of those three wouldn't be a lot, as they're pending UFAs.
Whether or not the Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in any of the trio is uncertain, but it seems likely that they will add to their D-core before the trade deadline.
Last season, Hanifin skated in 81 games and put up 38 points. Zadorov skated in 82 games and had 21 points, while Tanev put up 13 points in 65 games.
Will the Toronto Maple Leafs move TJ Brodie?
In Fox's mailbag, he also wrote about the Toronto Maple Leafs moving TJ Brodie.
The Maple Leafs are up against the salary cap. So if Brad Treliving wants to make a move, Fox speculates that Brodie could be moved. The defenseman is in the final year of his contract and is making $5 million per year.
When Brodie was in Calgary, Treliving let him walk in free agency when he signed with Toronto. That's because Treliving has been known to like big and bullish defenders, which Brodie is not.
Last season, the injury-prone Brodie skated in 58 games and recorded 14 points. However, he's arguably the Maple Leafs' best pure defender, and come playoff time, that will be key.
However, if Toronto decides to go out and get someone like Hannifin, Brodie could be on the move to make the salary cap work.
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