The Toronto Maple Leafs are willing to pay a significant price to upgrade their defense while Chris Tanev remains sidelined.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has reported that the Leafs have already set the parameters for what the franchise will accept in return.
During Sportsnet’s “Saturday Headlines” segment, Friedman said that Toronto is searching for a legitimate difference-maker rather than making a short-term move simply to cover Tanev’s absence.
“They’ve made it very clear they are not interested in a Band-Aid solution,” Friedman said. “They have said that they will pay a premium asset if they believe they are getting a difference maker on the blue line.”
However, Toronto’s willingness to make a move doesn’t mean the Leafs will sacrifice one of the organization’s best assets, whether that’s a top prospect or top draft picks, for a lesser player.
“They’ve told people they’re not moving what they consider A-assets for a B-level replacement,” Friedman said.
Friedman did not identify which Maple Leafs players, prospects, or draft picks Toronto classifies as premium assets, but he revealed another path the team is considering as it evaluates its roster, in case the aforementioned trade opportunity doesn’t emerge.
“They’ve also indicated that they would consider getting a younger player [by] moving an older guy,” Friedman said. “So, that’s what Toronto is looking at right now.”
Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
The discussions come as Tanev is week-to-week after suffering an upper-body injury during Toronto’s 6-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. He was placed on injured reserve but returned to the ice Saturday for a solo skate, while fellow veteran John Tavares could be out six weeks.
Most concerningly, Toronto has struggled defensively without Tanev. The Maple Leafs have surrendered 14 combined goals in three consecutive losses against Utah, Buffalo and the New York Islanders on Saturday.
The Maple Leafs host the San Jose Sharks on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
More NHL Essentials
- NHL’s Top 25 Highest-Paid Players
- Every NHL Team Payroll, Ranked
- Best NHL Draft Steals of All Time
- NHL’s All-Time Career Earnings Rankings
- NHL Stanley Cup Final Matchups and Results Since 1918
