Los Angeles Kings Defenseman Mat Roy celebrating a goal with his teammates
Photo credit: Sportsnet

NHL Insider Ruins Maple Leafs Trade Plans With Shocking Revelation For Top Defenseman

Published March 5, 2024 at 8:49 PM
BY GRAHAM MONTGOMERY

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been in the market for a defenseman for some time now. Unfortunately for them, one of their top targets is now off the board.

Friedman: LA Kings Unlikely To Trade Roy



NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported today that the LA Kings are unlikely to trade defenseman Matt Roy. There has been previous speculation that the team would look to move the 29-year-old as he is on an expiring contract and the team has not been playing good hockey over the last couple of months. Unfortunately for the Leafs though, it seems as though the team would prefer to try and re-sign him.

On Los Angeles: Matt Roy is the focused name since he's UFA but Elliotte thinks he's unlikely to be traded. Not convinced Kaliyev gets moved. Lizotte is a possibility. Elliotte says they are more likely to stand pat. He's not convinced they add a goalie. #GoKingsGo #NHL #NHLTradeDeadline




Kings Hoping To Re-Sign Roy In The Offseason



This lines up with another report that came out today courtesy of David Pagnotta. The insider revealed that the Kings are hoping to Re-Sign Roy over the summer.


However, this is a risky move by the Kings. Roy will certainly garner interest from teams around the league and he will likely be able to get more value on the open market. As a result, the Kings may have to pay a higher price to keep him than if they were to re-sign him now. After all, Roy has been one of the league's better stay-at-home defenders this season, and he's even chipped in a little bit of offense as well.


For now though, it seems a though the Leafs will have to look elsewhere for help on the backend this season. The team has been linked to blueliners including David Savard, Matt Dumba, and Mario Ferraro. Be sure to stay tuned over the coming days as the Leafs look to make a splash on the trade market.

As seen on Another Leafs trade target comes off the market
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March 5   |   719 answers
NHL Insider Ruins Maple Leafs Trade Plans With Shocking Revelation For Top Defenseman

What defenseman do you think the Maple Leafs should acquire in a trade this year?

Matt Dumba23733 %
Mario Ferraro7610.6 %
David Savard15421.4 %
Someone else25235 %
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