Rumor: Canucks and Leafs on verge of huge deal?

In his latest article for The Athletic, Vancouver Canucks reporter Mike Halford takes a deep dive on the team’s trade chips and attempts to forecast their roster moves in advance of the NHL’s February 26th trade deadline. The biggest card the Canucks have to play is undoubtedly defenseman Chris Tanev. 

Tanev is just 27-years-old, is signed long-term to a reasonable contract ($4.5 per through 2020) and is perhaps the best defensive defenseman in the NHL without the nickname “Pickles”. The list of teams that would line up to acquire his services is lengthy. But one team in particular has both the assets and the willingness to use them to acquire Tanev: the Toronto Maple Leafs.

If you recall, Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly and Tanev were paired together at last spring’s World Championships. The results there have to be intriguing to Leafs management. Halford goes on to explain why a Tanev trade with the Leafs would make sense for both parties:

The Toronto connection has been mentioned on numerous occasions. Tanev paired well with Morgan Rielly for Canada at the Worlds, the Leafs have defensive issues, and they're certainly a team looking to make noise this post-season. What's more, they've got a bounty of good young prospects that, because of the club's tremendous depth, may never get a chance to play a prominent role in Toronto.

So, what’s the price? A first round pick and a prospect? Two prospects? Would the Leafs part with top prospect Timothy Liljegren? Or how about Kasperi Kapanen? Again… the parts are all there, it’s just a matter of who’s willing to make the move.