Maple Leafs and Utah May Dial Up Trade Talks Following Durzi, Marino Announcements

Utah announced today that Sean Durzi (right shoulder) is out 4-6 months and John Marino (lower back) is out 3-4 months after both underwent surgery this week. While they are expected to lean on internal replacements for immediate help, it shouldn't come as a surprise if they begin to explore the trade market for defensemen in short order.

Given the need for an established defenseman, the Leafs appear to be the perfect trade partner for Utah. They have a number of NHL-ready blueliners including the frequently scratched Timothy Liljegren who is under contract for this season and next at a reasonable $3M cap hit after signing an extension in June.

Even entering a back-to-back situation on Tuesday night, Liljegren was a healthy scratch for the sixth time this season. He has quickly fallen out of favour with new head coach Craig Berube and doesn't seem to be drawing into the lineup on a consistent basis any time soon.

In addition to currently being 7th on the Leafs' depth chart, he could very well slip to 8th when Jani Hakanpaa is able to return to the lineup.

The former first-round pick has struggled to find his footing in Toronto and hinted he would like to be moved earlier this season.

With the Leafs needing to clear cap and roster space sooner rather than later and Utah reportedly thrusting inexperienced defensemen into spots higher than they should be in the lineup, it may not take long for a deal between the two sides to come together.