REPORT: Toronto Maple Leafs interested in TRADING for former Selke & Conn Smythe winner

PUBLICATION

Ryan
December 15, 2022 (3:26 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Currently the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the top teams in the National Hockey League. They are 9-0-1 in their last 10 and even better is they have some cap space to work with right now.

General Manager Kyle Dubas is always doing his best to make the Maple Leafs better, which is usually criticized by media as it usually means bringing in more forwards instead of improving their defence, which has been very thin the last few years.

NHL Insier Pierre LeBrun mentioned that the Maple Leafs currently have some interest in trading for a former Selke winner as the leagues best defensive forward and that player also just happens to have won a Conn Smythe trophy as well for the best player in the playoffs.

According to LeBrun, the Maple Leafs are interested in St. Louis Blues center Ryan O'Reilly.

Despite having a very good season last year, the St. Louis Blues are currently 13-15-1 on the season. Things have just not been going the Blues way this year and with all their young players they gave massive contracts to this past offseason, their expiring Ryan O'Reilly may be out of a job in St. Louis next season. His current contract pays him $7,500,000 and he probably isn't looking to take a pay cut, so it's most likely not something the Blues can afford next year, so instead of risking losing him for nothing, it's more than likely that the Blues trade him.

LeBrun believes the Maple Leafs are one of the favourites interested in acquiring him:

Pierre LeBrun writes that he thinks the Leafs have discussed acquiring Ryan O'Reilly internallyhttps://t.co/S3xa8ooIvJ pic.twitter.com/SNkXFEtZ8V� Editor in J (@Account4hockey) December 15, 2022

While he may not be producing statistically like he normally does, O'Reilly's two way game is something that would be very valuable to the Maple Leafs organization. He is great in the faceoff dot and his size makes him a very valuable addition.

If the Maple Leafs could pull off this trade, it would be something that would provide more than just scoring to the Maple Leafs lineup.

This would actually be a great move for Toronto.