Some NHL trade speculation picked up about a Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman and the Buffalo Sabres' targets for a top-six forward.
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz to one-year contracts on Monday when every NHL team finishes up their season-opening rosters.
Pacioretty agreed to an $873,770 cap hit, while Lorentz signed for $775,000. Both were on professional tryouts.
We noted last week there was media speculation over how the Maple Leafs will become cap-compliant before submitting their season-opening roster to the NHL on Monday. Right wing Calle Jarnkrok and center David Kampf were mentioned as trade candidates.
The Hockey News' Adam Proteau and The Athletic's Jonas Siegel raised the possibility of Timothy Liljegren ending up on the trade block. Siegel indicated the Leafs looked into trading the 25-year-old defenseman before signing him to his current two-year contract on June 30.
Siegel noted that Liljegren tumbled down the Leafs' depth chart and possibly out of their opening-night lineup. He carries an average annual value of $3 million, making him an expensive seventh defenseman.
It's unlikely the Leafs will move Liljegren, given the injury histories of fellow right-shot rearguards Chris Tanev and Jani Hakanpaa. He lacks no-trade protection, but his cap hit could make him a tough sell in the trade market right now.
Turning to the Buffalo Sabres, they're off to a bumpy start after dropping both season-opening games to the New Jersey Devils during the 2024 Global Series in Prague.
Failure to capitalize on their scoring opportunities remains a problem for the Sabres. While still in the early days, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams could be forced into the trade market if this issue persists.
Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic wondered if the Sabres would swing a big trade during this season. He pointed out they have plenty of salary cap space, with $6.11 million, and promising prospects to use as trade bait to acquire a top-six forward. They could also use forwards, such as Jordan Greenway, in the final year of their contracts as trade chips.
Fairburn speculated Adams might pull the trigger near the March 7 trade deadline if his club is in playoff contention by then. If the offense keeps sputtering, he could go shopping earlier than expected if the offense keeps sputtering.
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