Report: Kyle Dubas has personally scouted 4 teams in the previous 2 days.,

4 more teams potentially in the mix.

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HockeyFeed
Published 5 years ago
Report: Kyle Dubas has personally scouted 4 teams in the previous 2 days.,
Sporting News

There has been a considerable amount of activity from the Toronto Maple Leafs on the trade front over the past several weeks and although none of it has been officially acknowledged by the team itself there's no doubt that there are some serious irons in the fire.

The Maple Leafs remained locked in a fierce negotiation with talented young forward William Nylander and with no signs of that stalemate coming to an end anytime soon there has been speculation that the Leafs are looking for alternatives. An alternative could of course come in two forms, either the Leafs could trade Nylander, or his rights, to a rival team that is willing to commit to the kind of contract that Nylander's camp has been demanding or they could trade an asset that would give them more cap space next season, allowing them to squeeze Nylander, Auston MatthewsMitch Marner and John Tavares under the cap. 

There has been plenty of speculation in both regards and, although there's really no way of knowing what is currently going on in the mind of Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, there have been some hints regarding which teams the Maple Leafs may be having these discussion with. Various scouting missions from Dubas as well as from rival teams have linked the Maple Leafs to the New York Rangers, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalance and Ottawa Senators over the past few weeks but in the last 48 hours four more teams have entered the mix.

 According to Minnesota Wild insider Mike Russo, Dubas was spotted personally taking in a match up between the Los Angeles Kings two nights ago. The Wild currently have some considerable depth on defense and they would make an ideal trade partner for the Maple Leafs as a result. Additionally their offense is one of the oldest in the National Hockey League and if the Leafs are looking to swap offense for defense they make even more sense as a potential candidate.

Just last night Dubas took in a match up between the Carolina Hurricanes and the San Jose Sharks and once again one team stands out as a viable trade candidate. The Hurricanes, like the Wild, also have an abundance of talent on the blue line and could be an ideal trading partner for the Maple Leafs. In fact of all the names I have heard speculated since the possibility of Nylander being traded has surfaced the Hurricanes seem to be the most frequently mentioned simply because of the perceived fit for both teams. 

The  NHL Network's Brian Lawton recently commented on the decision from Dubas to scout both games personally and it appears that he does not believe it's merely a coincidence.



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