Trade brewing between the Leafs and Flames?

The Calgary Flames are expected to shed salary on their blue line and NHL insider Bob McKenzie believes that the team is willing to part with one of T.J. Brodie and Travis Hamonic this summer. 

This information might have caught the attention of the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Kent Wilson of The Athletic believes the Leafs’ need to bolster their back end might push them to get into talks with the Flames and take a strong look at their available defensemen. 

Wilson believes the Maple Leafs could have the cap space to take on either Brodie ($4.65 million cap hit) or Hamonic ($3.857 million) if they manage to find trade partners for both Patrick Marleau and Nikita Zaitsev. Both players have been mentioned several times in the past week as seeking a trade and getting closer to their goal. Both Hamonic and Brodie are set to become unrestricted free agents next year.

Wilson adds that the Flames would be interested in Kasperi Kapanen as a return for either player, though the Maple Leafs are more likely to counter with a package including Connor Brown.

The Maple Leafs aren’t the only ones looking at the markets to bolster their blue line. Wilson also lists the Winnipeg Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers as teams who have a need for defensemen. 

The Leafs better study their options fast before their preferred target is taking off the market…