As the Maple Leafs look for more youth, mobility, and insurance on the blue line, they could look to a Canadiens defenseman who hasn't found a real spot yet.
Toronto needs help on the blue line, that's no secret. They need to get a bit faster, a bit more offensively potent and a lot younger. There are still some solid pieces like Darren Raddysh, and Troy Stecher has been a workhorse all season, just playing a ridiculous 26 minutes against Columbus on Tuesday.
There have been a couple of names tossed around including Erik Karlsson, and there are even some wild proposals that include both Zach Werenski and Quinn Hughes who would no doubt help the Maple Leafs but comes at a massive cost.
Toronto can look to their longest rival to help their biggest need
Though there's one player the team can target if they wanted to add some youth, mobility, and hep on the blue line and they won't need to look far.
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Right now, the Canadiens don't really have a spot for 22-year-old defenseman Adam Engstrom,and with others like David Reinbacher already getting their shot, he seems to be left behind.
He hasn't had much time in the NHL, appearing in only five games this season and 20 for his whole career, but he's someone who has been a consistent threat at the AHL level and has been a key reason why Laval had been so successful as of late.
Several teams have reportedly inquired about Engstrom, and The Athletic's Apron Basu did report in mid-August that the Canadiens were open to dealing the defender but the price wasn't going to be low.
Toronto can afford Engstrom but will Montreal try and play hardball?
But as we saw with the Nashville Predators and their acquisition of Jayden Struble, it might not take a ton of capital to get someone. All it cost them was a second rounder, and Toronto is certainly able to afford that, plus add a sweetener pick or a low-tier prospect to sway the Canadiens.
However, this would be a rare deal between the two heated rivals so you can potentially see GM Kent Hughes trying to play hardball with John Chayka as he tries to squeeze him dry of any of his prime assets.
If so, then Chayka may need to overpay for a player with minimal NHL experience on the hope that he can be the answer, which is a big risk especially when you have a win-now mentality. Sure he can help you, but when?
It would be interesting to see if the Maple Leafs and Canadiens come together to pull off a deal, as rare as it is. But Toronto has to be careful not to get burned by their most bitter rivals.
Should the Maple Leafs target Adam Engstrom from the Canadiens to help their blue line?
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