Report: Leafs making offers on Cole

If yesterday’s report from Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette piqued the interest of Toronto Maple Leafs fans, today’s report should have them furiously Googling Ian Cole’s stat line.

According to Mackey, the Leafs are one of three teams who are looking to acquire the Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman via trade. The others are the Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights. At this point it’s unclear who Pens GM Jim Rutherford is seeking in return for Cole, but speculation is that he’d like to acquire another offensive-minded center.

Does that mean Tyler Bozak? Certainly Bozak isn’t a perfect player, but he’s likely worth more than a defensive defenseman who has been a healthy scratch the past two games? Or maybe the Pens package up some picks or a prospect along with Cole in exchange for Bozak? 

It may be too early to make a connection between the two clubs yet, but don’t be surprised if trade rumors ramp up between now and Cole’s trade. One thing’s for sure, his time in Pittsburgh is coming to an end.