NHL Insider: Leafs could poach the Flames

The Toronto Maple Leafs could certainly use a jolt right now, as they've started the season in an extremely lackluster manner and currently sit at 5-4-1 through the first ten games of the schedule. 

Meanwhile, another struggling Canadian franchise that remains perhaps even more of an inexplicable situation is the Calgary Flames, who no longer have old-school Darryl Sutter to blame for their woes. Sitting at 3-7-1, there could be major changes on the horizon. Could the Maple Leafs take advantage?

According to NHL Insider Elliott Friedman, the Leafs could be eying a pair of Flames players who could soon be out the door in Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev. 

"I think they're looking for defensemen," Friedman said. "I think they've been looking for defensemen all summer. They just haven't found the mix."

"You know the one I can see is Zadorov. I'll bet you this - if they could find a way to get Zadorov AND Tanev, I bet you they would do it. I bet you they'd do both of them if Calgary was willing to do that. I really believe it. Now, I'm not saying it's going to happen, but if you show me a path where that could occur, I could see it. But look, I think they're looking for D."

Tanev is currently in the final year of the four-year pact that he inked with Calgary in October of 2020 that carries an AAV of $4.5 million, while Zadorov is also in the final year of his own contract that carries an AAV of $3.75 million. 

And as you know, both of those contracts were given to the pair of Flames players by Brad Treliving, who is now the general manager of the Leafs. Does this mean that the Leafs would be willing th part ways with the underwhelming John Klingberg in a potential deal? 

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