Maple Leafs enter trade talks as imminent move looms

His name has come up several times this week in trade chatter. Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Ethan Bear may have signed a one-year contract worth $2.2 million in July, he is waiting to get his first action of 2022-23. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman got wind that Bear might have asked for a trade and quickly listed the Vancouver Canucks as a potential destination for the blue liner. The Canadian team has had a disastrous start to the season, and have become natural suitors for Bear who could definitely bolster their back end. However, they might not be the only club in Canada taking a look at Bear. Friedman also believes the Toronto Maple Leafs might be poking around.

That’s no surprise seeing that whenever a right shot defenseman becomes available on the market, the Maple Leafs are bound to be one of the teams that are speculated on.

There is a sense that now that Toronto has placed Jake Muzzin on long-term injured reserve, joining goalie Matt Murray, there is room for Bear, though the Leafs would probably have to move a contract as well, maybe offer some forward depth that might be desirable in Carolina.

However, some fans do believe that Bear is not an upgrade from Justin Holl and Timothy Liljegren on the right side, and if the idea is to land a top-four defenseman, Bear has not reached that level yet to fill that void in Toronto.

For now, I believe that the Canucks appear to be the best potential landing spot for Bear, however, we cannot blame the Maple Leafs and general manager Kyle Dubas for looking into it.