NHL Trade Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs scouting Hurricanes defensemen
A few months ago, the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs had discussions about a trade. The latest NHL trade rumors suggest the Leafs are still scouting the Canes.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to bolster their roster to try to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967. In order to do so, they’ll need to fix their defense. According to the latest NHL trade rumors, the Leafs are scouting the Carolina Hurricanes and their defensemen.
This report comes from Darren Dreger from TSN. It’s worth noting the two sides had discussions about a potential William Nylander trade back in October and November. The Hurricanes are likely looking for help at the forward position, even after acquiring Nino Niederreiter from the Minnesota Wild.
While Dubas held court with Toronto media, other members of Leafs management attended the Canes/Flames game last night. Toronto continues to scout Carolina’s available D.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) January 23, 2019
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Carolina is a good fit for Toronto as a trade partner, and vice-versa. Each team features a surplus of what the other team wants. The Maple Leafs desire a right-handed defenseman and the Hurricanes have Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Justin Faulk. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes want someone who can provide scoring and the Leafs have Kasperi Kapanen, among others.
Let’s take a look at the guys Toronto is most likely targetting – Pesce, Hamilton, and Faulk
Brett Pesce
Pesce is the long-term option of the trio. He is under team control for five seasons after this one with a $4.025 million cap hit. The Leafs could likely find a way to make his salary fit under the ceiling. Pesce has 11 points in 40 games this season with a +14 plus-minus rating.
His underlying stats aren’t too shabby, as he posts a -3.20 relative CorsiFor percentage and a +0.17 relative scoring chances for percentage. Pesce’s time on ice average has him as the Hurricanes’ fifth-most used defenseman at five-on-five.
Justin Faulk
Faulk has been someone the Leafs have coveted in the past. He has 17 points in 41 games this season with a plus-minus rating of -3. Faulk would be a nice addition to the Maple Leafs power play, as he’s a very capable passer and shooter from the point.
His underlying numbers look bad, as he’s in the red in relative CorsiFor percentage, relative shots for percentage, and relative scoring chances for percentage. Faulk has one year remaining on his deal after this one.
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Dougie Hamilton
Hamilton is a bit of an enigma. Aside from this season, he has consistently put up impressive point totals and has been in the green in most underlying stats. However, Hamilton’s been traded by two teams in a short period of time. There could be more than meets the eye with him.
This season, Hamilton’s numbers have taken a nose dive. After posting at least 40 points in each of his previous four seasons, he has merely 17 points in 49 games in 2018-19. Playing on one of the NHL’s lowest-scoring teams obviously plays a role in that, but it didn’t seem to affect him last season with the Calgary Flames.
Hamilton’s underlying numbers, however, remain excellent. He’s among the top defensemen in the league in most possession stats, including relative CorsiFor percentage and relative scoring chances for percentage.
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It’ll be interesting to see if the Leafs and Hurricanes can make something work for both sides. They’re perfect suitors for each other and both teams are desperate for success.
All stats via Natural Stat Trick. For more NHL trade rumors, be sure to check out our Rumors page and follow us on Twitter at @Puck_Prose.