On the Toronto Maple Leafs …
Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun: Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello would be happy to improve the Leafs before the trade deadline, but he doesn’t think that he absolutely has to do something.
“I think it’s solid. We’ll have to wait and see what is transpiring, but you’re never good enough.
“To do something for the sake of doing something is never a good thing. (When describing a possible trade) you don’t even want to use the word ‘substantial.’ Sometimes the smallest things become the biggest.
“There is constant communication right up until the trade deadline, all teams are doing that. We’re no different than anyone else.”
Darren Dreger of TSN: James van Riemsdyk will likely be the Maple Leafs “own rental” at the trade deadline – too valuable to the Leafs to trade at the deadline, but isn’t a guarantee to re-sign after the season.
Some think that Dominic Moore is or will be available at the deadline. The Leafs are likely to hold onto van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov.
The Sabres are reportedly asking for a first-round pick, a prospect and conditional draft pick for Evander Kane. What could the Leafs get for JVR?
It’s believed that van Riemsdyk would want a six-year, $6 million per season deal to remain with the Leafs. With the Leafs needing to re-sign Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander over the next couple years, and with their bonus overages, JVR’s deal won’t be easy to fit in.
One GM noted that if the Leafs were to sell JVR, Bozak and Komarov at the deadline, they could get significant assets that they could use to acquire a top-pair defenseman that could make them legit contenders next season.
On the Montreal Canadiens …
TSN: Darren Dreger was on TSN 1200 radio and said that Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin isn’t shopping forward Andrew Shaw, but teams are interested.
“Andrew Shaw is a fierce competitor,” Dreger said Thursday. “He would absolutely, without question given his experience in Chicago, help a playoff-contending and a Stanley Cup-contending team. And at 26, 27 years of age, he comes with four years of term on his contract. So who knows. If things really get white-hot again in Montreal, and I don’t know that they’re ever far from white-hot in Montreal given the season they’re having, maybe Bergevin moves a piece like that as well.”