Leafs have trade interest in Anaheim's Josh Manson: report
The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly in the market for Anaheim Ducks right-handed defenceman Josh Manson.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Saturday night’s broadcast, the Leafs have rumoured interest in trading for the 30-year-old American defenceman.
Manson has a cap hit of $4.1 million that expires after this season.
But there could be complications, as Manson suffered an upper body during Saturday afternoon’s contest between the Ducks and the Ottawa Senators.
“Toronto was one of the teams believed to be looking at Manson if he is interested in coming there,” Friedman said during an intermission segment. “That will be an interesting one to watch in terms of how long he is going to be out.”
Additionally, it’s not exactly clear what Anaheim’s trade deadline strategy will be at this point in time. The Ducks have missed the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, but currently sit in second place in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division.
The NHL trade deadline is set for March 21.
If the Leafs were to make a move for Manson before then, he’d be challenging for a spot amongst the team’s top-four while looking to unseat Justin Holl or Timothy Liljegren from a healthy Toronto lineup.
This season, his eighth with the Ducks, Manson has averaged 19:44 of ice time while putting up three goals and four assists in 43 games to date.