Leafs interested in trading for Capitals defenceman Jensen: report
In acquiring Ilya Lyubushkin via a three-way deal on Thursday, the Toronto Maple Leafs seemed to fill one of their major needs, adding a right-handed defenceman to their roster.
But as Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek pointed out on Friday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast, “there’s still room for moves” from the Leafs. Chiming in on potential Toronto trades, Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Leafs were looking at multiple defencemen, including Nick Jensen of the Washington Capitals.
“They were looking at a lot of right-shot D… I heard Nick Jensen was kind of name that they were looking at,” Friedman said.
The insider also mentioned potential interest in David Savard of the Montreal Canadien but hypothesized that the Habs are willing to hold out in case better offers emerge.
Like Savard, Jensen is a veteran blueliner who plays a shutdown-style game. The 33-year-old carries a cap hit of $4.05 million and has two years left on his contract.
Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings back in 2009, Jensen has 540 NHL games under his belt. He netted a career-high five goals and 29 points over 77 games with Washington last year.
While many thought the addition of Lyubushkin would be Toronto’s first and only backend move ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, a recent injury could lead to another.
Leafs defender Mark Giordano left Thursday’s game against the Coyotes with a head injury. Depending on the seriousness, there is a chance that the 40-year-old misses time.
As Toronto continues their push for the playoffs, another deal to balance out their defence remains a possibility.