There’s nothing like a general manager siting at another team’s game to get the good people of Leafs nation talking.
If you missed last night’s buzz, Leafs assistant general manager Laurence Gilman was in the press box to take in the Carolina-Buffalo game. Although it’s always good to pay attention to the “competition” we can safely assume he was there to watch the Hurricanes. It also came out that it was the second time Gilman has watched a Carolina match in the last couple of weeks.
The obvious question is 1) What does this mean and 2) Who is he watching. Hockey is hockey but scouting games around this time of the year usually has some trade deadline implications behind it (at least that’s what my optimism likes to tell me).
It looks as if the possibilities are narrowed down to two conclusions. Is Gilman looking for another defenceman or for a winger to help add a little bit of those intangibles to the forward corps?
Acquiring Jake Muzzin was a good move for the Leafs but they may not be done adding to that blue line and Dougie Hamilton is still a name that’s floated around the trade market. The same goes for Michael Ferland who plays the type of game Mike Babcock values.
Aside from his physicality, he’s a versatile player who can play both wings, can contribute offensively (14 goals and 14 assists in 44 games) and is on an expiring deal with a lovely $1.75 million cap hit.
We’ll have to see how this plays out and there’s no guarantee it materializes into anything. But the coincidences behind these Gilman sightings are well worth the eyebrow raise.
In Case You Missed It
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NHL Trade Deadline: Reviewing last years deals - Pension Plan Puppets
All the big deals happened on the last two days before the deadline. How smart were those big moves in hindsight?
Hockey Is Trash... and So Am I: Contract Negotiations in the Cap Era Suck - Pension Plan Puppets
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Around the Hockey World
Just going to leave this here
The Anaheim Ducks have two wins in the last 52 days.
— Gord Miller (@GMillerTSN) February 8, 2019
What exactly is the Penguins’ model? - PensBurgh
Taking a look at how the Penguins maneuvered contract negotiations in the salary cap age.
John McDonough wants Blackhawks to ‘make a run for the playoffs’ - Second City Hockey
General manager Stan Bowman’s job is "absolutely" safe.
We need to talk about Claude Giroux - Broad Street Hockey
I AM BEING PERSONALLY PERSECUTED BY THE NHL NETWORK.
It’s time to abandon the myth about Sam Reinhart - Die By The Blade
Reinhart continues to show that he can be an impact player without Jack Eichel
IN MEMORIAM: ANDRE BOUDRIAS - Nucks Misconduct
Paying tribute to the first star for the Vancouver Canucks.
This clip is brought to you by the letter ‘N’ for not enough horseshoes were used ahead of this game.
Enjoy the weekend!
