The Leafs had their lunch fed to them by the lowly Ottawa Senators on Friday in what was a disappointing 6-2 loss on home ice. Thankfully, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas was not there to witness the listless effort, as he was actually spotted at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, scouting the Canucks.
The Canucks were playing host to the Columbus Blue Jackets - another team who is expected to be in the seller's market ahead of the March 3rd trade deadline. While I'm sure that Dubas was watching both teams intently, this marks the 3rd time in recent weeks and the 2nd time this week that Dubas will have taken in a Canucks game in person.
Typically, when a high-ranking executive attends another club's game in person ahead of the deadline, it means that a deal could be close. With Dubas having now scouted the Canucks multiple times this week, not only is it possible that a deal is on the horizon, but a deal could be closer than we expect.
The Canucks have a number of players who might interest the Leafs. Former Leafs draft pick, Luke Schenn, might be high on the list for Dubas, who is reportedly in the market for a big, bruising depth defenseman. There are also higher-priced options that might entice the Buds ahead of their upcoming playoff run, including Bo Horvat, Conor Garland or perhaps even Brock Boeser. The Buds also reportedly had significant interest in Nils Hoglander during his draft year. They actually interviewed the Swedish winger multiple times before the draft.
