Yesterday afternoon, the LA Kings were in Boston to take on the Bruins in what was an entertaining game. Ahead of the game, it was reported that Leafs GM Brad Treliving had dispatched his AGM to take in the game. This caught the eye of many as, typically, upper management is only sent to scout when there are more intense trade discussions taking place.
Later in the evening, as the puck dropped between the Leafs and Anaheim Ducks, the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan added fuel to the fire of a possible deal between the Kings and Leafs when he noted that the Kings were among five teams that had two scouts taking in the game.
Everyone knows that the Leafs are looking to add a big, physical, right-handed defenseman ahead of the trade deadline and while Calgary is holding Chris Tanev and lefty Noah Hanifin for a king's ransom right now, Brad Treliving may now be looking elsewhere.
Although the Kings have struggled since the calendar turned to 2024, they are still holding down a Wild Card spot in the West. That doesn't mean they aren't open for business, however, with Treliving's knowledge of the West, it appears the Leafs have their eyes on some one Los Angeles - perhaps defenseman Matt Roy. The 28-year-old pending UFA is exactly what the Leafs need. The 6'2, 210 pound, right-shot blueliner fits what they're looking for. He has only 16 points in 51 games for the Kings so far this season, but plays just shy of 21 minutes per night and has 105 hits to go along with 116 blocks.
With a cap hit of $3.15M, the Leafs would have to move out some salary or have to pay for some retention, but he certainly fits the bill in terms of filling a massive hole on the blueline. The trade deadline is less than three weeks away, so it will be interesting to see how far along discussions between the Leafs and Kings get and if a deal can be reached.
