There are so many reports linking the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers in trade talks that one has to assume where there is smoke, there is fire. Barring a miraculous turnaround, the Maple Leafs are selling. Meanwhile, the Oilers are obviously buying. There are players on the Maple Leafs roster that fit Edmonton’s needs, starting with Bobby McMann.
But, as per recent reports, it might not be McMann that the Oilers are making their primary target.
Is That a Misprint? Why Not Go After McMann?
Everything about McMann screams what the Oilers need: a cheap contract, an aggressive style, the ability to produce offense, and an Alberta-born player who can play a depth role or with star players…
However, while a guest on the show, Pagnotta told Jeff Marek on The Sheet that the Oilers might not be looking at McMann. He reported:
“Some word out of Edmonton is that leading up to this freeze, they’ve been having some discussions with the Toronto Maple Leafs… and it wasn’t Bobby McMann. I know there was a lot of attention and speculation surrounding McMann, but going into the week, I know they hadn’t spoken about (him).”
Really? The Oilers and Maple Leafs haven’t even had a conversation about McMann? Considering how logical the fit seems to be, it’s hard to imagine there haven’t even been some kind of preliminary talks.
It would be one thing if the two sides opened up the conversation, and the price was astronomical. For example, if GM Brad Treliving wasn’t going to budge on the rumored ask of a first-round draft pick, Oilers’ GM Stan Bowman might not be prepared to go there. Totally fair. But if Pagnotta’s report is accurate and the Oilers haven’t asked, Treliving should call Edmonton back to see if they’re interested. He should sweeten the pot by allowing them to talk extension.
This is a great opportunity for the Leafs to sell high. Edmonton may be shifting gears and focusing on defense, but Treliving needs to push the conversation to see if he can convince the Oilers to take a closer look.
Who Are the Oilers Prioritizing Instead?
Pagnotta goes on to say that it sounds like it might be Nic Roy, or maybe it’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson that the Oilers see as a better fit.
He reports, “Those are two players I wouldn’t be shocked if they poked around on. I was told by a couple of people that the Oilers and Leafs had conversations leading up to the (Olympic freeze), and that might be something to keep an eye on going out of the break and closer to actual D-day (deadline).”
Roy is a third-line center that Edmonton has identified as a need. Ekman-Larsson is a well-rounded defenseman (a little older) who is having a bounce-back season. Edmonton allows a ton of goals against, and someone with playoff experience and a reasonable cap hit makes sense.
How that trade would work isn’t clear. Roy and Ekman-Larsson would combine for a total cap hit of $6.5 million if Toronto doesn’t retain salary. The Oilers aren’t exactly swimming in cap space. PuckPedia has the Oilers at around $2.87 million, and with Andrew Mangianpane going back in the deal, that gets the two sides close.
Perhaps this is about contracts. The Oilers don’t love spending big assets on rentals. Ekman-Larsson and Roy both have another year on their deal after this season. At the same time, the Leafs could give Edmonton permission to talk extension with McMann prior to any trade. That would give the Oilers an advantage and up the potential return for Toronto.
Regardless, it feels strange to hear that these two GMs haven’t chatted about this possible trade scenario.
