Brother of Utah Mammoth Forward Hints Maple Leafs Are A Preferred Destination
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro | Imagn Images
As Brad Treliving and the Leafs continue to search for a top-six winger, the brother of one Utah Mammoth forward hinted the Leafs are a preferred destination.
Searching for a top-six winger has become quite the task for the Maple Leafs for a few reasons.
First, they have very few assets and limited salary cap space to acquire any major upgrade. Teams have been asking about Easton Cowan, but so far that has been a definitive no from the organization.
Second, with the standings being so tight to begin the season, there aren’t exactly a number of teams lining up to sell their pending free agents.
Star Utah Forward Available?
Following Wednesday’s loss to the Leafs, the Mammoth are 9-5-0 to begin the season. After an off-season that saw them make a few major moves, including acquiring J.J. Peterka and handing out a number of lengthy contracts, they have quickly emerged as playoff contender.
Should they begin to slide down the standings, however, pending UFA Nick Schmaltz may become available, with the Leafs a potential destination of choice, according to his brother Jordan Schmaltz.Schmaltz, who played briefly under Craig Berube in St. Louis, was on ‘Leafs Morning Take’ on Thursday, where he was asked if he knew a ‘sibling, a sister, an aunt’ that could fill the void left by Mitch Marner.
“I don’t want to get into a tampering issue here, but I think I might know a guy,” said the older Schmaltz. “If they (Utah) aren’t going to pay him… I think there’s a player out there.”
The 32-year-old Schmaltz went on to detail that his and the Nylander family are fairly close and that Nick, along with Christian Dvorak, played on a line with William Nylander for a couple of years in minor hockey.
As mentioned, should the Mammoth fall out of playoff contention, Schmaltz could become available earlier than July 1st, and with a 10-team no trade list could slightly influence a deal to Toronto.
Carrying a $5.85M cap hit this season, the Leafs would have to move out a body or two from their bottom-six, but if they are able to, the former first-round pick would definitely help fill the void in their top-six, for the post-season at the very least.
Previously on Maple Leafs Daily