With the Toronto Maple Leafs sending scouts to the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings game, there are questions concerning who they are looking at.
Recently, we reported that the Maple Leafs could have been looking at Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski, who has proven to be a valuable asset as the Blackhawks refuse to give him meaningful minutes.
He is a player who was a former seventh overall pick and could be of great value to the Leafs, who are in need of a defenseman.
However, it appears as though they may have been there to evaluate a former second overall pick who plays for the Los Angeles Kings. Of course, that player is Quinton Byfield.
Quinton Byfield's slow start leads to trade rumors
According to David Pagnotta, he is starting to wonder whether or not the Los Angeles Kings are seriously thinking about moving on from Byfield.
Byfield is off to an uncharacteristically slow start for the Kings this season, with just two points in the first nine games. It's not enough, especially for a player with second overall draft pick pedigree.
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He has been a consistent 20-goal scorer and has proven that he can reach 50 points. Although at 24 years old, the Kings are expecting a whole lot more from him.
That said, if the Kings are looking to trade him, then the Maple Leafs could very well be interested, as evidenced by their attendance at the Blackhawks-Kings game.
Byfield would be the perfect addition to their top-six, as he could take the place of someone like Jack Roslovic, who is punching above his weight right now.
Furthermore, given his struggles, the Leafs could probably trade for Byfield at a lower price, which would be an attractive proposition for general manager John Chayka.
Leafs remain focused on defense
Even though Byfield would be an attractive player for the Maple Leafs, it should be made clear that the Leafs' main trade target right now is a defenseman.
They need to get younger on the blue line, and that is where Chayka's focus is lying, at least for right now. It just isn't the right time to trade for anything else.
That said, the situation in Los Angeles is an interesting one, and the Maple Leafs should be seeking to keep tabs on it.
Should the Toronto Maple Leafs trade for Quinton Byfield?
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