Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas Reportedly Kicking Tires on Top Line Forward

The offseason is more than halfway through, and GMs are looking to make some last minute splashes, large and small alike. Kyle Dubas had an eventful offseason, moving on from G Jack Campbell and F Ilya Mikheyev, among a few depth pieces no longer on the team. He supplemented his goaltending position with the questionable additions of Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov, and he signed forwards Calle Jarnkrok and Nic Aube-Kubel for depth.

With negative cap space to work with, Dubas reportedly has another major target in his sights. According to LeafsDailyNews, Dubas has had 'brief' discussions with Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson over star forward Patrick Kane. Kane, 33, is in the last year of his massive contract signed in 2014, carrying a cap-hit of $10.5M.

With the Blackhawks dismantling anything remotely valuable from their lineup, Kane and his agent haven't explicitly stated that he wants out, but the sense around him (and Jonathan Toews, FWIW) is that he is not interested in rebuilding and would be open to waiving his no-move clause. So far, the only teams rumored to be in the mix are Edmonton and Toronto. Given the recent exodus of American-born players out of Canada -- Gaudreau, Tkachuk, etc. -- I can't say for certain that Kane would waive to go to Canada, but I have a feeling if it's between winning 15 games in Chicago and competing for a Stanley Cup in Canada, Kane would choose the latter. But, with three Cups to his name, it is not out of the question for Kane to take his $10.5 million and throw his feet up for another year.

As far as Toronto goes, William Nylander's name has circulated in and around trade rumors for years, and this summer is no different. The talent there is obvious, and his ability to score in clutch moments is noteworthy for a team unsuccessful in their efforts to advance past round one. But generally speaking, Nylander's compete-level has faced criticism, and his $6.9 (nice) million cap-hit can be problematic at times for the Leafs. Therefore, Nylander would most likely be the return piece for Patrick Kane, should Dubas elect to go that way.

Chicago would need to retain salary, but if Dubas can work out a trade in which Nylander goes to Chicago for Kane (50% salary retained) and a pick and/or prospect, that could work. Although, if this were to happen and the Leafs fell short of a Stanley Cup, fans will almost certainly resent the notion of shipping Nylander off for one-year of a 33-year old Patrick Kane. But, at this stage of the game, Toronto needs to do any and everything to not only advance past the first round, but make a deep run at a Stanley Cup. Last season's seven-game series against Tampa Bay showed just how capable this Maple Leafs group is, but the Toronto faithful needs results, plain and simple.

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