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Grabner rumors? Is Toronto willing to pay for McDonagh?? Leafs vs. Isles

February 22, 2018, 1:39 PM ET [877 Comments]
Mike Augello
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
For the latest Leafs updates, Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter

UPDATE - New York Rangers play-by-play guy Don LaGreca on ESPN's Michael Kay Show said that he believes that former Leaf Michael Grabner is being traded to Toronto. The 30-year-old winger scored 18 points for Toronto (9 goals, 9 assists) in 80 games in 2015-16 and was signed to a two-year deal by the Rangers at a $1.65 Million AAV in July 2016.

Leafs head coach Mike Babcock loved Grabner's defensive ability & speed, but Toronto had young wingers in Connor Brown, Mitch Marner, Connor Brown and Zach Hyman coming in the next season and Toronto needed to give their kids the ice time.

If the Leafs do deal for Grabner, it would likely be a move to fill a hole created by another deal.


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The Toronto Maple Leafs play the second of a three-game homestand against the New York Islanders on Thursday, hoping to extend their home winning streak at Air Canada Centre to eight games. The Leafs began their streak with a 5-0 win over the Islanders on January 31, who are battling Columbus and Carolina in a tight race for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot.

The Islanders are only two goals behind Toronto in scoring with 203 goals (4th overall) this season, but the difference between the two clubs has been team defense and goaltending. The Leafs are in the middle-of-the-pack allowing 172 goals (12th overall) and have Vezina-level goaltending from Frederik Andersen since the beginning of November.

In comparison, New York has surrendered a league-worst 219 goals against due to their wide-open offense led by John Tavares, Josh Bailey, Anders Lee and rookie Mathew Barzal, injuries to the blueline (Calvin DeHaan, Johnny Boychuk and Scott Mayfield) and arguably the weakest goaltending tandem in the NHL in Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak.

Greiss is on injured reserve and Halak (the likely starter vs. Toronto) has an under .500 record (18-19-4) and a 3.22 GAA.

Leafs 60-second rumor update with 4 days to go before the NHL Trade Deadline

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The Leafs held an optional morning skate on Thursday with both Roman Polak and Connor Carrick on the ice, so it is unknown which blueliner will pair with rookie Travis Dermott.

Head coach Mike Babcock indicated that a Leafs forward is ill and may not play, which could be an opportunity for winger Matt Martin to get back into the lineup. Martin has been a healthy scratch since Toronto’s last loss at home (January 22nd vs. Colorado) and have gone 11-2-0 since.

Frederik Andersen is expected to make his league-leading 52nd start for Toronto.

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Rumors of the Leafs having interest in New York Rangers team captain Ryan McDonagh have gained momentum over the last 24 hours. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on Wednesday that Toronto is targeting the veteran blueliner, who is signed through the 2018-19 season at a cap hit of $4.7 Million.

The 28-year-old has a modified no-trade clause that prevents him from being traded to 10 teams and according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the Leafs are not on McDonagh’s no-trade list, which would clear the way for GM Lou Lamoriello to complete a deal if Toronto makes a pitch.

McDonagh is a top pairing defenseman and would be a significant upgrade on the Leafs blueline. The former Montreal first round pick has led the Rangers in average time-on-ice the last five seasons, playing on both special teams units and matching up against the oppositions top lines and has played the right side as a left-hand shot.

Wear and tear also has to be a consideration with McDonagh, who has missed time earlier in the year with an abdominal strain, but has played more than 70 games the last four seasons.

The hurdle that has to be a concern for Toronto is the rumored cost. There were indications last week that Boston had interest in McDonagh, but that Rangers GM Jeff Gorton was looking for young NHL players Jake DeBrusk and Brandon Carlo, along with a first round pick.

The Bruins may be out of the bidding, as they decided on a less expensive option by acquiring Nick Holden from New York for prospect Rob O’Gara and a third round pick earlier this week.

A deal involving the Leafs would likely involve names such as Kasperi Kapanen, Jeremy Bracco, Travis Dermott, 2017 first rounder Timothy Liljegren (not all of them, but one or two as part of a package) and a first round pick in 2018 or 2019, which is a price that Lamoriello would be hesitant to pay unless he had some assurances or perimeters on what it would cost to re-sign McDonagh when he is eligible to agree to a contract extension this July.

The inclusion of a William Nylander or Mitch Marner would be a complete non-starter for Toronto, especially with the likelihood that they will be letting James van Riemsdyk walk in free agency this summer.

Another factor in this scenario could be the future status of current Leaf Jake Gardiner, who is well on his way to eclipsing his career-best 43 points this season and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2018-19 season. If Toronto extends McDonagh and has Morgan Rielly and Nikita Zaitsev locked up on long-term deals, there may not be enough room to re-sign Gardiner.

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