Maple Leafs Management Spotted at NHL Game, Fueling Intense Trade Speculation
The Toronto Maple Leafs have some eyes on the Seattle Kraken and New York Islanders, signaling a potential trade could be in the works.
Brad Treliving and his band of merry men have a few decisions to make when it comes to getting their roster as complete as possible in preparation for the playoffs. There's been a lot of defense and goaltending added however their offensive depth is bad.
If Toronto wanted to have a good idea of how to improve their team, they picked the right game to do it. It's reported the Maple Leafs sent scouts to check out the Seattle Kraken vs. New York Islanders game, perhaps signaling a trade is in the works for either Yanni Gourde or Brock Nelson.
Yanni Gourde
Gourde, a three-time 20-goal scorer could add not only offensive firepower to the Maple Leafs but the scrappiness and tenacity that Craig Berube loves.
No, he isn't the strongest or the biggest guy but he plays his heart out, is a very solid defender, and is versatile enough to play center or wing depending on the situation.
Signed by Tampa after going undrafted, he carved out a very solid career for himself as a Top 9 player and has a unique combination of skill, size, aggression but also discipline, as he doesn't take many penalties and is a very smart puck distributor.
Gourde has 320 points in 546 games including this season, and is a free agent at the end of the year. He's an expensive option, however, but with enough pieces and perhaps some salary retention, Brad Treliving can bring him over. He would instantly improve the bottom six and be able to push Toronto's forwards into success.
Brock Nelson
As underrated as they come, Nelson would be a crucial addition to a Maple Leafs lineup that is desperate for scoring and size. A towering 6'4, 210-pound, Nelson is the exact type of center who can put up some very good numbers on the scoresheet and not harm the team defensively.
Even analysts are intrigued by the possibility. As The Athletic's James Mirtle notes:
For his career, all spent with New York since being drafted 30th overall in 2010, Nelson has registered 281 goals and 540 points including this season where he has 6 goals and 9 points in 17 games. The addition of Nelson, who has had three straight seasons of 30+ goals; that's a big boost to your production.
But it won't come cheap. New York has to decide to move on, Toronto needs to ensure they have enough cap space and assets in order to pull it off. As polarizing as he is, Lou Lamoriello has been in the game too long to be fleeced often, so it'll take a lot to get him but it's worth it.
Toronto has a few options to choose from, but if there's any indication of where they sent their scouts, it'll be a very good choice to pick up either of these players.
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