As per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, “The Toronto Maple Leafs are among the Eastern Conference teams that I’m told have checked in on Jacob Middleton.” A defenseman who has taken a major step for the San Jose Sharks this season, Middleton could be on the trade market ahead of this year’s NHL Trade Deadline and the Leafs would love to be among the teams the Sharks have serious conversations with.
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Among the most attractive pieces for the Maple Leafs is the fact that Middleton has been playing top-four minutes for the Sharks but is doing so at a cost of $725K this season. He was signed to an AHL deal by San Jose and jumped up the lineup rather quickly. He can play a physical brand of hockey, he can play with skilled players and he’s an RFA at the end of the season. The Maple Leafs could then choose what to do with his contract over the summer, potentially locking in a useful piece to a longer-term deal.
Unfortunately, because the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning are also interested, the price to acquire Middleton won’t be cheap.
Middleton would only cost $725K on the salary cap, but according to LeBrun, the ask is a second-round pick, plus another pick or a prospect. That isn’t far off of what the Colorado Avalanche paid to land Josh Manson and it will be interesting to see if Toronto is willing to pay that price.
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