On the Toronto Maple Leafs …
Mike Augello of the Sporting News: Looking at six defensemen that could help out the Maple Leafs if made available before the trade deadline.
Chris Tanev – Vancouver Canucks – two years left a $4.45 million cap hit.
Sami Vatanen – Anaheim Ducks – two years left at $4.875 million per. The Ducks could use some help up front. Any Ducks trade involving a defenseman would happen after Cam Fowler returns from his injury.
Mike Green – Detroit Red Wings – Pending unrestricted free agent. May not be the best fit for the Maple Leafs as he’s more offensive than defensive.
Noah Hanifin – Carolina Hurricanes – Hanifin is a pending restricted free agent and will likely be looking for a long-term deal.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Arizona Coyotes – Will be a free agent after next season and if he’s not open to signing long-term, the Coyotes may have to move him. The cost to acquire would be high.
Jacob Trouba – Winnipeg Jets – Is a pending restricted free agent who is two years away from being an unrestricted free agent.
On the Colorado Avalanche and Matt Duchene …
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Darren Dreger was on WGR 550 on the Matt Duchene situation in Colorado.
“Up until recently, I would have said he’s definitely gone,” replied NHL Insider Darren Dreger when posed the question Friday morning on Buffalo’s WGR 550. “And look, there have been some pretty sweet deals, at least that’s what I’m told that Joe Sakic should have embraced and made that move. But there are general managers out there now who think that maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe Sakic is taking his time here in trying to convince the player, Matt Duchene, to hang in there because of how valuable he is to the Colorado Avalanche and the fact that they’re enjoying some surprising success.
“But for me, when I look at Colorado I don’t see it. Maybe you guys look at them differently. I think they’re going to be a bad team moving forward. I don’t think they’re going to have much of a run this year at all, and the team we saw last year near the bottom of the National Hockey League – I think that’s the direction they’re headed.
“So the trade of Matt Duchene still makes more sense than not for me.”