"Late last week we learned through NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings have explored a trade. The deal would send Patrick Marleau to LA so he could be reunited with former head coach Todd McLellan who was his longtime coach in San Jose. At the same time it would give the Maple Leafs a huge boost in cap space as Marleau currently carries a $6.25million cap hit for one more season. The Leafs need all the cap relief they can get at the moment as they're up against the wall with big contracts to sign. Well it definitely seems like Marleau will be shipped out of town as LeBrun now adds that the Arizona Coyotes have thrown themselves into the mix for Marleau. While the Leafs would probably have to take on one of the Kings bad contracts in a trade, it seems the Coyotes would be a little more lenient and would just request that the Leafs attach a serious prospect. It's interesting though because the Coyotes aren't in a much better cap situation with only $8million of cap space at the moment. Whatever the case may be, it's definitely sounding like Marleau will be sacrificed.
Leafs and Coyotes have also chatted about Patrick Marleau. My sense is that for Arizona to get more interested Toronto would have to attach a premium asset in the trade as well. — Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 2, 2019
