3 Maple Leafs Trade Candidates Following Knies/Marchenko Blockbuster
The Toronto Maple Leafs started the season with 12 new players in the lineup, but that doesn't mean for a second that general manager John Chayka is finished making moves.
Chayka's been joking with the media lately that trade rumors will never die in Toronto, and while that's true, his love for wheeling and dealing will certainly fuel the fire. There's been plenty of speculation that the Leafs are looking for a top-four defenceman, and want to refresh their blueline with some young blood.
Here's three Maple Leafs who could be traded next, following the Kirill Marchenko/Matthew Knies blockbuster:
Morgan Rielly
Rielly was being shopped all summer long and admitted it was weird to know that a trade was potentially coming. Chayka didn't find a deal he liked, or one that he could approach Rielly with, as the veteran defenceman has a no-movement clause. The early indications are that the Rielly/Darren Raddysh tandem isn't going to work, and with Raddysh locked in for Chayka, Rielly once again finds himself in the middle of trade talks. The 32-year-old blueliner has three seasons left at $7.5 million AAV.
Miles Wood
The Maple Leafs acquired Wood as part of the package for Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz and Emil Andrae, but that doesn't mean Wood is in their plans. Chayka tried to flip Wood immediately after the trade was announced and before the 5pm roster deadline on Monday, to help try and shed some salary. Wood's since been demoted to the AHL, and with a $2.5 million cap hit, and two more years remaining, it's obvious Chayka's going to try and package him up, and shift some financial resources to the blueline.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
OEL is a prime trade candidate and one of the only Leafs who have some value on the trade market. The veteran defender is inked to a very reasonable $3.5 million cap hit this season and next, and owns a 16-team no-trade clause. Chayka was to refresh his blueline and moving off the team's eldest d-man is going to be a good start. Look for OEL to be packaged if he's moved, and a younger, more promising top-four defenceman coming back the other way.