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The fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs are two points behind Ottawa and Boston in the Atlantic Division and three points out an Eastern Conference wild card spot could alter their plans as the March 1 trade deadline approaches, but that is not stopping other teams from inquiring about players who could potentially be available for trade.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on Wednesday at least one NHL team inquired this past weekend to check on whether they where on the no-trade list of Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk.
There has been speculation going back to last summer regarding Toronto using van Riemsdyk as trade bait to upgrade their defensive corps.
The 2007 second overall pick is a legitimate top-six forward on pace to score 25-to-30 goals and has a reasonable cap hit of $4.25 Million until the end of the 2017-18 season.
It is possible that Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello will keep the 27-year-old winger past the March 1 trade deadline if Toronto remains in playoff contention to help the young core group of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly and William Nylander gain experience in games of consequence down the stretch.
The determining factor may come down to how attractive a commodity van Riemsdyk is and how many teams will be desperate to give Toronto what they are looking for in return for a player that could be the final piece of their puzzle.
Dreger believes an offer that would have to include a young top-four blueliner for the Leafs to consider trading van Riemsdyk in season. That would also be the case if Toronto decides to shop the winger during the summer with only a year remaining on his contract.
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Two Toronto Maple Leafs prospects have advanced to the gold medal game of 2017 IIHF World Junior Tournament on Thursday night in Montreal, while another will play for a bronze medal in the afternoon.
Forward Jeremy Bracco and goaltender Joseph Woll advanced to the championship game as Team USA won 4-3 over Team Russia in a shootout on Wednesday.
— GIF Grand Maester (@myregularface) January 4, 2017
The 19-year-old Bracco was a key contributor for the Americans, assisting on team captain Luke Kunin’s tying tally in the second period and keeping the US alive in the fifth round of the shootout, beating Russian goaltender Ilya Samsonov.
Bracco scores in the 5th round, with bench reaction pic.twitter.com/ClAIRnqmXm
— GIF Grand Maester (@myregularface) January 4, 2017
The US will face Team Canada, who defeated Sweden 5-2 on Wednesday night.
Grundstrom goal pic.twitter.com/e3EGtvSqql
— GIF Grand Maester (@myregularface) January 5, 2017
Leafs 2016 second round pick Carl Grundstrom scored his third goal of the tournament to give the Swedes a 2-1 first period lead and chase goalie Connor Ingram, but Canada rallied to tie the game late in the first and take the lead for good on Julien Gauthier’s second period goal.
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