Maple Leafs and Alex Pietrangelo Talk Heating Up

When it comes to free agent talk, there’s no bigger name ready to potentially hit the open market than Alex Pietrangelo. He’s noted his preference is to stay in St. Louis, but there’s been a lot of buzz the defenseman may wind up elsewhere by the time the 2012-21 NHL season begins.

Part of that speculation comes from the fact he may ask for more than the Blues can afford. And, with Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko in the mix, it’s logical the Blues would set a ceiling for any future deal to get their captain to stay.

Another part of the problem is that the Blues don’t have a lot of information readily available when it comes to the injury status of forward Vladimir Tarasenko. Should Tarasenko be out long-term, putting him on LTIR is an option and opens up cap space for the Blues. At the same time, they’ll need to use that cap space to grab another forward. And Tarasenko or no Tarasenko, the Blues still need to re-sign 23-year-old RFA blueliner Vince Dunn.

Over In Leafs Nation

Meanwhile, in Toronto, general manager Kyle Dubas is apparently making moves and shifting pieces in an attempt to fill some glaring holes on his blue line. A GM known to make big splashes in free agency and get creative with the cap and the trade market, Dubas has already moved forward Kasperi Kapanen (among other pieces) to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a first-round and prospects.

And, if you’ve listened to Dubas’ media conferences, he’s not done.

With Pietrangelo potentially available and Dubas undoubtedly looking, some are beginning to wonder if the pieces being moved around in Toronto are being moved so the Maple Leafs can take a shot at the Blues current captain.

Of Course Toronto’s In The Mix

It seems like anytime there’s a big name out there on the market, the Maple Leafs are part of the conversation. This time, there might actually be a good reason.

Sportsnet’s Luke Fox writes that the Toronto Maple Leafs shipping Kasperi Kapanen last week and comments made by Pietrangelo that he could see himself wearing another jersey are no coincidence. Fox didn’t outright suggest Pietrangelo is looking at the Leafs, but he does believe the Leafs are looking at Pietrangelo and trading Kapanen could be the first of many moves to make space for the defenseman.

Fox notes that the Leafs made landing a right-shot defenseman their top priority and there’s no better option than Pietrangelo. Still, at the $8-$10 million price tag he is likely to command, Dubas can’t add him without shedding more salary.

The Leafs Might Have A Real Shot

While Fox says he expects Pietrangelo will get an offer from the Blues, he also expects that offer to be well below what the defenseman will make on the open market. At the same time, teams that have big money won’t interest the No. 1 d-man and like the Winnipeg Jets — who are also rumored to be interested — some will only be able to offer big money to Pietrangelo on a short-term deal.

Would Pietrangelo Consider Short-Term Deal With the Winnipeg Jets? https://t.co/UJ9rzfDzFm via @nhl_tradetalk

— NHL Trade Talk (@nhl_tradetalk) September 1, 2020

Because the Leafs are looking for a long-term fix and are willing to throw big money at that fix if they can rearrange the pieces to make it fit, Pietrangelo could see Toronto as a viable option. There’s even talk of moving William Nylander to clear up the additional space needed.

Should Dubas complete his plan to shuffle the roster and clear out more money, there are few teams in the league who can offer what the Maple Leafs can. That is, big money, a long-term deal and a chance to win.

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