Rumor: Leafs linked to Canucks, Red Wings and Devils for defencemen

With extensions for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner coming this offseason, Craig Button of TSN believes that Kyle Dubas should make some moves before the deadline to acquire a decent defenceman before it's too late. He has linked 3 possible trade partners, the New Jersey Devils, the Vancouver Canucks and finally the Detroit Red Wings.


With $6 million free to use, Dubas has more than enough to sign one or two good blueliners before the deadline. So according to Button, Dubas should look at these three trade partners, Vancouver's Alex Edler, one not unknown to trade rumors, Detroit's Niklas Kronwall and finally New Jersey's  Ben Lovejoy.

You can look at pending unrestricted free agent Alex Edler of the Vancouver Canucks - a big shot on the power play and plays most significant minutes for any Vancouver defenceman. No one knows Detroit blueliner Niklas Kronwall than former Red Wings coach Mike Babcock. Both players have big playoff experience and Kronwall has a Stanley Cup on his resume. Another player who might not come at a higher price is New Jersey's Ben Lovejoy, who won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016. He's that big, right-shot defenceman who can add some key minutes to the blue line.

If we look at it from a technical point of view, Alex Edler is the option that makes the most sense due to him being able play a lot of minutes per game, can help score point and can lay the body when needed. Kronwall hasn't done much lately and is getting old. Lovejoy could be possible but really isn't worth spending $6 million on a player that's been injury prone.

So could we see one of these players one the move before the deadline?