Maple Leafs defense hunt draws scouts from 18 teams

A crowded press box in October doesn't happen by accident. David Pagnotta counted the visitors and posted the full list.

David Pagnotta

@TheFourthPeriod

The Leafs have been looking for additional upgrades on the blueline since the summer. As the search, and talks continue, 18 teams have scouts/reps at tonight's Sharks/Leafs game: LA, DET (2), CGY, EDM, FLA, STL, VGK, COL, NYR, CBJ, PHI, WPG, WAS, TB, NYI, MTL, VAN, DAL

NHL Media

@NHLMedia

Are the Toronto Maple Leafs on the hunt for defensive help? @TheFourthPeriod joined to discuss if the Leafs could be working on other moves. 📺: #NHLTNFirstShift weekdays at 4 PM ET on NHL Network t.co/0zzoyFGNzA

That's LA, Detroit with 2 people, Calgary, Edmonton, Florida, St. Louis, Vegas, Colorado, the Rangers, Columbus, Philly, Winnipeg, Washington, Tampa, the Islanders, Montreal, Vancouver and Dallas. More than half the league showed up for a Sharks game. Not every scout is there for the Leafs, and some are just doing their normal pro scouting. But when the home team is openly working the phones for a defenseman, a guest list that long tells you the market is busy.

Why now? Chris Tanev. The Leafs put the veteran on injured reserve with an upper-body injury after he left a 6-3 win over Colorado in the first period, and he's listed as week to week. He'd played 6 games and led the team with 14 blocked shots, which is exactly the kind of guy you can't easily replace from inside the building. Toronto called up Marshall Rifai from the Marlies to fill the spot.

Jim Hiller didn't panic in public, saying Tanev is a good player but "we have other good players. We just have to help them out." Sure. The front office seems to agree with the second half of that sentence more than the first. The worry isn't only this injury either: Tanev is 36 and played just 11 games last season after a concussion.

It also didn't start with the injury. Pagnotta has been reporting since the summer that the Leafs want blueline upgrades, specifically a mobile, defense-first guy who can play on the second pair, and he says Toronto has had exploratory talks about Calgary's Zach Whitecloud. So it's worth noticing that Calgary is on tonight's list. Detroit sending 2 people is also worth a raised eyebrow.

Summer was a mess for this blueline too. Morgan Rielly gave Toronto a short list of Western teams he'd accept a trade to, with San Jose on top, but the Sharks reportedly took Darnell Nurse instead. So Rielly is still a Leaf, playing against the team that turned him down, while 18 clubs take notes from the stands.

Next comes the actual trade. GM John Chayka has been working this since the offseason, and losing Tanev made a nice-to-have a need. Scouts in the building don't mean a deal is done. Still, if Toronto is calling around for a second-pair defenseman, the other teams want an up-to-date look at what the Leafs might be willing to send back. Keep an eye on Calgary and Detroit.