Scouts from four NHL teams in the building to watch Leafs and Penguins

Tonight's matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins will feature two net minders fresh off the injured reserve as starters Frederik Andersen and Matt Murray make their returns tonight in Toronto. 

It's Matt Murray vs. Freddie Andersen tonight in Toronto. Two goalies returning from injury.

Among those watching will reportedly be eight scouts from four different NHL teams, something that we don’t typically see especially this far from the trade deadline. This report comes from NHL insider and Sportsnet senior writer Chris Johnston.

Check it out:

Four teams are sending TWO scouts to tonight's leafs - pens game: Carolina, New Jersey, N.Y. Rangers and Tampa. 

That's unusual.

Indeed that is unusual. But perhaps we shouldn’t really be surprised, though. The Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked multiple times in trade rumors, most recently in a proposed swap of unsigned restricted free agent William Nylander and defenseman Brett Pesce. The Penguins are also in need of a defenseman following the brutal injury to blue liner Justin Schultz this past weekend. There are reports out there that Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is working the phones to make a deal. The problem is... there's just not much out there on the trade market. At least not that we know about. It's likely that these scouts know something that we don't and that at least one of the players on the ice tonight is being included in trade talks amongst the teams. 

As for the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning… it’s not known if these teams are buyers or sellers in a deal with either the Leafs or Penguins, but the fact that so many teams are in the building likely means that someone on the ice tonight is being watched closely. We know it’s not Nylander as he’s kicking his feet up in Austria while his agent attempts to negotiate a new deal with Leafs GM Kyle Dubas. So… who is this mystery man that everyone is so intent on watching tonight? Puck drop is 7pm local time from Scotiabank Centre in downtown Toronto.