TSN’s Insider Trading today contains a firm statement from Frank Seravalli that the Maple Leafs have Mikael Granlund as their primary trade target.

Keeping this from being already a done deal is the lobbying of the Canadian government to cut the 14-day quarantine to seven days for incoming players. Seravalli says the Leafs are leading that charge to get that changed, and they still haven’t been given a firm no.

Nashville is no longer as obvious a loser in the playoff race in the Central as they were. They are in second last by points percentage, and below .500 with 32 games played already which means they have zero hope of moving up. Yet Seravalli claims they think that with Chicago looking less good lately (shockingly, since they are a goalie and two shooters) the Predators might feel less inclined to be sellers.

Nashville would need to overtake Dallas, who have played the fewest games in the division, Columbus and Chicago to take the fourth playoff spot, so if they decide not to sell on their UFAs, they are extremely foolish.

If they delay, and Kyle Dubas can’t get his reduced quarantine, he may go to some of his other choices and forget Granlund, per the report.

And if all of that sounds like negotiating via the Insiders, well, it does to me too, but the part about the Leafs wanting Granlund sounds legitimate.

Check out our earlier look at this not all that exciting trade candidate, to see how whelmed we were:

Should the Maple Leafs trade for Mikael Granlund?

We'll See Where This Goes