TSN: Darren Dreger on TSN Overdrive with Aaron Korolnek and Jamie McLennan talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs, what they may be thinking leading up to the deadline and what assets they have.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Dreger: “As for teams that I’m watching Noodles (Jamie McLennan), I mean, I’m looking at the Toronto Maple Leafs. I am. And it’s because you can see the needs in Toronto. They’re a really good team. There’s no doubt about that.
But I don’t remember the East being as open as it is right now for a long, long time. And you looked at the Carolina Hurricanes, absolutely rocked everyone’s world when they acquired Mikko Rantanen, and Carolina’s probably not done yet.
So what are the chairs that are going to get moved in the East look like. Toronto has to bring in a centermen. Who’s the best affordable piece? And by affordable, I’m talking about both from, you know, giving up the assets required and then you’re always going to wrestle with the salary cap until the playoffs start.
And, you know, Vancouver is looking for a center, and on and on it goes. But I put Toronto pretty high on the list of teams that I’m, I’m intrigued by and what they’re going to do.”
Korolnek: “Darren, you use the term affordable piece. The Leafs don’t have a first-round pick this year, but they do have their first next year. Have some prospects, guys like Easton Cowan, Fraser Minten, who I’m sure well regarded around the NHL.”
Dreger: “(Ben) Danforth, is a defense.”
Korolnek: “Yeah, that’s right. I mean, do you think anything is on the table when it comes to the Leafs and parting with potentially any and all those guys?”
Dreger: “I think that it would have to be a supreme package. I do and, you know, and I love the possibility of a Brayden Schenn being available. I mean, automatically, I mentioned Toronto would have interest. Well, there’s no shortage of teams that would be interested in the captain and the St Louis Blues, and that was the process that Doug Armstrong, you know why it was initiated? Let’s just, let’s, let’s see what’s available out there?
Yeah, I think Toronto would, would, would give up a couple of young pieces to get it, because now you’re, you’re getting a little bit of cost certainty in Schenn too. You know, he’s not an expiring contract. He’s a $6.5 (million) annual average salary. You know, age dynamic, he takes a lot of boxes. But you’ve got to take that information and what they ask is, and to Brad Treliving, the ask is probably going to be really high. Maybe too high.
And then you measure that versus, okay, well, what’s Scott Laughton going to cost, you know, from the Philadelphia Flyers? And every time I check in with flyers management, they’re, they’re going to hold out as long as they can for a first-round draft pick. That’s what they want for Scott Laughton, or something like that. So the prices probably aren’t coming down to you closer to March 7th.”