Top Trade Target May No Longer Be an Option for the Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made plenty of solid moves this off-season, but after the blockbuster Erik Karlsson move last week, they may now officially be ruled out of the chase for another star defenceman.
On the surface, Noah Hanifin is the perfect fit for Toronto; he can play alongside Morgan Rielly, he wants out of his current situation and most of all, he has a connection to new General Manager Brad Treliving.
However, now that Karlsson was moved for a haul to the Pittsburgh Penguins, one writer from The Athletic has suggested that this could drastically increase his price, and could price the Leafs out of the bidding war.
A perfect fit
While Hanifin has stated he wants to play for a US market, the Leafs having the Treliving connection and being a major contender could force him to change his mind, but at this point, it appears as though Toronto don't quite have the pieces to make a deal happen.
No. 55, an experienced player at just 26-years of age has also been linked to teams like Buffalo, Detroit and even his hometown Bruins, and if the Leafs want to make a deal happen, it appears they'll have to wait, as they have likely been priced out of a deal.
As Read on Maple Leafs Daily -
The price just shot up for potential Leafs trade target following the Karlsson trade
| POLL | ||
Is Hanifin the difference maker on the blue line the Leafs are missing? | ||
| Yes | 651 | 57.4 % |
| No | 483 | 42.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
