The Leafs Nation trade deadline day live tracker
By Nick Richard
1 year agoWelcome to another year of The Leafs Nation’s trade deadline day live tracker where we will keep you up to date on all the latest rumors and speculation involving the Leafs as the clock winds down towards the deadline.
The Leafs got what figures to be their biggest piece of business done a day early on what was a busy Sunday for the club. Before acquiring veteran defenceman Mark Giordano and versatile depth forward Colin Blackwell from the Seattle Kraken, the Leafs made a flurry of other moves to create roster and salary cap flexibility.
The club placed struggling netminder Petr Mrázek on waivers, clearing $1.125 million of his $3.8 million cap hit off the books. It is unlikely that he is claimed by another team but it appears that the Leafs plan to keep him in the minors after signing KHL free agent goaltender Säteri on Sunday as well. Säteri, 32, is as much a lottery ticket as anything else but he has put up stellar numbers over the last three seasons in the KHL and is fresh off a dominant showing at the Olympics where he backstopped Finland to a gold medal.
Veteran forward Kyle Clifford also hit the waiver wire, creating space for another cheap depth forward in Blackwell.
The Leafs weren’t done there, however, and before the Giordano and Blackwell acquisitions could be made official, Travis Dermott was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2022 third-round pick. Dermott was selected in the second round of the 2015 draft and showed promise early on in his career but was never able to grab hold of a top-four role in Toronto. A change of scenery was in the best interest of the player and the Leafs managed to get a decent return in the process.
Live Tracker
3:06pm EST: GM Kyle Dubas confirms no additional moves for the Leafs. Their acquisitions for the stretch drive amount to Mark Giordano, Colin Blackwell, and Ilya Lyubushkin.
3:05pm EST: The biggest name remaining on the forward market does indeed move before the deadline as Anaheim ships Rickard Rakell to Pittsburgh.
3:00pm EST: The official deadline has passed with no reports of further activity from the Leafs but keep in mind that there are always a few trades that trickle in after the deadline.
2:55pm EST: Seravalli reports that the Rangers have officially acquired Tyler Motte from the Canucks an addition to acquiring Andrew Copp from the Jets.
2:47pm EST: Dreger reports that the Rangers are acquiring Andrew Copp while also working on a trade to bring in Tyler Motte, two of the forward options most heavily linked to the Leafs ahead of the deadline.
2:15pm EST: Another cheap depth forward option comes off the market as San Jose trades Andrew Cogliano to Colorado.
2:02pm EST: The Arizona Coyotes have claimed recently signed goaltender Harri Säteri off of waivers from the Leafs while both Petr Mrázek and Kyle Clifford cleared waivers. Expect the Leafs to continue to work on acquiring a cheap goaltending option before the deadline.
1:30pm EST: The Maple Leafs officially announce that Alex Biega has been traded to Nashville in exchange for future considerations.
1:20pm EST: Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic says the Canucks are still taking calls on forward Tyler Motte who has been linked to the Leafs in trade rumors over the last few weeks.
1:20pm EST: TSN’s Sara Orlesky reports on Tradecentre that Andrew Copp is likely to be traded before the deadline. Copp is a player that the Leafs have been interested in and he would be a nice addition to the middle-six of their forward group.
12:41pm EST: Kevin Weekes of ESPN confirms that the Leafs have sent Biega to Nashville in exchange for future considerations, clearing a contract slot for potential additions.
12:37pm EST: Jeff Marek reports that Justin Braun has been traded to the New York Rangers. One of the last remaining right shot defenceman options comes off the trade board.
12:36pm EST: Pierre Lebrun reports on TSN’s Tradecentre that the Sharks could be shopping goaltender James Reimer after the addition of Kähkönen. Reimer is a former Leaf who could provide some stability to the team’s goaltending depth chart.
12:31pm EST: TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Leafs have traded journeyman minor league defenceman Alex Biega to the Nashville predators. Likely just a move to clear a contract slot for the Leafs as they were near the limit of 50.
12:29pm EST: Seravalli reports that the Oilers are acquiring defenceman Brett Kulak from the Canadiens. Kulak could have been a worthwhile depth addition for the Leafs, especially with Sandin potentially out for an extended period of time.
12:18pm EST: McKenzie follows up with more news regarding Sandin and Jake Muzzin. It appears Sandin could miss an extended period of time with a knee injury while Muzzin continues to progress towards a return to the Leafs’ lineup.
11:57am EST: McKenzie reports that Ondřej Kaše is undergoing testing after leaving Saturday’s game with a head injury. He also speculates that extended absences for Kaše and Sandin would create a bit of roster and salary flexibility for the Leafs to add before the deadline.
11:49am EST: With Teemu Kivihalme and Joey Duszak taking part in Leafs practice, Friedman reports that Rasmus Sandin may have suffered an injury in Saturday’s game against Nashville.
11:42am EST: Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen throws some cold water on the Max Domi trade speculation, claiming that Domi was held out of practice to rest a foot injury.
11:35am EST: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Kaapo Kähkönen has been dealt to San Jose in exchange for defenceman Jacob Middleton, taking another potential goaltending option for the Leafs off the market. The Leafs were also rumored to have had interest in Middleton but the addition of Giordano made a potential Middleton addition somewhat redundant.
11:32am EST: TLN’s own David Alter shares a photo of Mrázek at Leafs practice in his fresh black equipment for the upcoming Next Gen Game. Mrázek’s eventual fate will have more clarity when waivers are processed at 2pm EST.
11:14am EST: Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that the Wild are trading netminder Kaapo Kähkönen to create roster space for the addition of Fleury. Kähkönen, 25, is a pending restricted free agent who carries a cap hit of $725k. He would be a nice depth add with upside if the Leafs are still looking to add in goal.
11:10am EST: Seravalli breaks the news that the Minnesota Wild have acquired veteran netminder Marc-André Fleury from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a conditional second-round pick. Fleury was the top goaltending target on the market and would have solidified the Leafs’ situation between the pipes but it was always going to be a difficult deal for Toronto to make work, especially with Fleury having control over his destination.
10:59am EST: Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports that Max Domi is not taking part in Columbus’ practice today. A trade seems like a foregone conclusion and though the dollars might not work, Domi could be an intriguing fit on the Leafs’ second line.
10:35am EST: Luke Fox of Sportsnet reports that newly acquired Mark Giordano and Colin Blackwell are expected to arrive in Toronto later today and they should be available for Tuesday’s practice.
10:27am EST: McKenzie follows up by saying that while it remains doubtful that Mrázek is claimed on waivers, there are some suggesting that it isn’t entirely out of the question. Shedding Mrázek’s entire $3.8 million cap hit would obviously be a win for the Leafs given their current salary restraints and his poor performance this season. Newly signed goaltender Harri Säteri isn’t expected to join the club for at least another week, assuming he clears waivers this afternoon.
10:20am EST: TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Leafs are working diligently to create more flexibility to upgrade their roster before the deadline. The health of Ondřej Kaše will have an impact on what Kyle Dubas is able to do.
10:19am EST: Chris Johnston of TSN reports that the Bruins are still looking to move DeBrusk. He may be more attractive to interested teams with some cost certainty and the concern about his potential qualifying offer this summer erased.
10:16am EST: The Boston Bruins announce a two-year extension for winger Jake DeDrusk who had previously requested a trade. A midseason deal between Boston and Toronto was always unlikely but DeBrusk would have addressed a clear need for the Leafs up front.
10:06am EST: The Senators announce a three-year contract extension for pending UFA goaltender Anton Forsberg. Forsberg was arguably the most viable trade candidate for the Leafs to shore up their goaltending situation but the Senators have taken him off the market with this signing.
9:59am EST: Steve Dangle follows up his earlier tweet to say that he believes Vancouver will move forward Conor Garland as well, perhaps to an Atlantic Division team. The Leafs have reportedly shown interest in Garland in the past and he would be a great fit alongside John Tavares if Dubas can make the money and acquisition cost line up.
9:33am EST: DFO’s Frank Seravalli says there are a handful of teams around the league that could help to facilitate trades for other teams by taking on salary as third-party brokers. If the Leafs are to make another addition or two before the deadline, this is an avenue they are sure to explore.
9:03am EST: Steve Dangle of Sportsnet and the SDPN says he is hearing that Florida and Toronto are among the teams interested in Winnipeg’s Andrew Copp. He also reports that the Leafs would like to give Brennan Menell an opportunity to catch on with another team.
8:10am EST: Bob McKenzie reports on TSN’s Tradecentre that the Leafs are still “in the market for a lot of things” but as it stands, they are restricted by the salary cap. McKenzie goes on to say that the Leafs expect Petr Mrázek to clear waivers this afternoon but they are still awaiting some medical reports on players like Ondřej Kaše and others to get a clearer picture of their salary cap situation.
7:48am EST: Jeff Marek of Sportsnet reports that the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to be quiet today outside of a deal to move defenceman Justin Braun. Braun has been linked to the Leafs in recent weeks but yesterday’s move to acquire Giordano likely takes them out of the running for another blueliner.
7:31am EST: Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports that San Jose is looking to move veteran, pending UFA forward Andrew Cogliano. Cogliano carries a cap-hit of just $1 million and could be another viable depth option for the Leafs.
11:10pm EST (Sunday): Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli is reporting that the Winnipeg Jets appear to be active in the trade market and are currently taking offers on forward Andrew Copp. Copp has been linked to the Leafs as a preferred target to bolster their forward group but they would need to find a way to fit his $3.64 million cap hit under the salary limit.
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