NHL Trade Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs rumor mill roundup
By Simon Vacca
Metropolitan Division
- Carolina Hurricanes — Michael Ferland, Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce, Dougie Hamilton
- Columbus Blue Jackets — Artemi Panarin
- New York Rangers — Chris Kreider, Adam McQuaid
- Philadelphia Flyers — Wayne Simmonds, Radko Gudas
The New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals’ trade interests do not appear to concern the Leafs. By extension, it’s a real stretch to connect the Buds to the Artemi Panarin sweepstakes, but the sheer volume of past rumination on the matter has prompted me to include his name on this list, nonetheless.
The Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, however, are all prime targets with whom Dubas could aim to orchestrate a deal.
Carolina is in desperate need of offensive prowess, while the Leafs’ main concern lies in its defense on the right side. As such, the likes of Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce and Dougie Hamilton have all been subjects of widespread speculation, especially in light of what would hypothetically be synonymous with the Buds’ need to usher forth a ‘money-in, money out’ — or ‘assets-in, assets-out’ — type of trade. And while the prospect of adding Michael Ferland to the mix is tempting, Dubas’ reluctance to attain a rental makes the possibility of such a deal seem rather minimal.
As of late, the Rangers are also in the midst of rumors enveloping the 6ix. The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel went so far as to identify Chris Kreider as a player who would top Toronto’s list of potential targets, while TSN’s Bob McKenzie referenced Adam McQuaid as an option for the club to add in an appearance on Leafs Lunch.
At the end of the day, no idea excites fans more than the thought of Wayne Simmonds donning the blue and white. A more realistic addition to the club would be Radko Gudas — a right-handed monster on the blue line who consistently excels as a fifth or sixth defender — but the question of whether his presence in the top four could ultimately benefit the team remains largely unanswered and hotly debated among critics.