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One of the newest Toronto Maple Leafs rumors suggest that the club sees this year’s top NCAA free agent as a possible future solution.<\/p>\n
The ongoing grind of Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> rumors could take a step back from the team\u2019s current front-office search. Instead, the next batch of Leafs chatter could focus on the top NCAA free agent this season.<\/p>\n That free agent is Michigan Wolverines captain TJ Hughes. Hughes, who went undrafted, bet on himself in college and emerged as a Hobey Baker finalist this season. The 24-year-old has been on the radar of at least a dozen NHL clubs.<\/p>\n But as one notable insider pointed out, the Edmonton Oilers and Maple Leafs could be the frontrunners to land Hughes.<\/p>\n In the April 3 edition of the Sheet, insider David Pagnotta remarked on how the Oilers and Maple Leafs view Hughes as an immediate solution<\/a> to their need for more youth and talent.<\/p>\n \u201cTeams like Toronto and Edmonton have viewed him as a player that can step in and play with some of the big boys right out of the gate.\u201d<\/p>\n The biggest reason why Maple Leafs rumors have focused on Hughes is the fact that he\u2019s an older prospect. As such, he\u2019s about as close to NHL-ready as it gets. Plus, the fact that Hughes is done with the NCAA means that it\u2019s the pros or bust.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why clubs like the Leafs are looking to Hughes as a potential solution for their needs moving forward. Maple Leafs rumors surrounding Hughes should pick up in the coming days. The Wolverines lost to the University of Denver in their Frozen Four matchup on Thursday night. Consequently, Hughes is now eligible to sign with whatever team he chooses.<\/p>\n Why Hughes Makes Sense for Leafs<\/p>\n Hughes makes a ton of sense for the Maple Leafs. As Pagnotta underscored, Hughes can play top minutes from the get-go. That\u2019s something crucial for both the Oilers and the Maple Leafs. The two organizations have prospect pools as shallow as a puddle.<\/p>\n With few prospects coming up the pipeline, jumping on a player like Hughes gives the Leafs and Oilers a chance to land a high-end prospect who can contribute right away.<\/p>\n Fans should keep an eye on Maple Leafs rumors in the coming days. Despite not having a full-time GM in place, Toronto should be pushing to sign Hughes to an entry-level contract. While it\u2019s unclear whether the Wolverines star could still see some regular-season action, it would be a given to see him in training camp in the fall.<\/p>\n What to read next: Maple Leafs Could Bring Back Malhotra, insider believes<\/a><\/p>\n Maple Leafs Rumors Show a Change in Direction<\/p>\n The latest batch of Maple Leafs rumors shows the organization is heading in a different direction. With the trade market relatively thin and the free-agent market razor-thin, the club is looking towards a sometimes-overlooked corner of the prospect pipeline.<\/p>\n The only hitch could be Hughes\u2019 willingness to sign with the Maple Leafs. Since Hughes is a coveted player, other organizations like the Montreal Canadiens and even the Colorado Avalanche have been linked to the up-and-coming prospect.<\/p>\n Could Hughes ultimately sign with a championship-caliber team like the Avalanche? Or would he be willing to take on a more prominent role on a team that could be rebuilding, like the Leafs?<\/p>\n Maple Leafs rumors in the coming days should point towards how well the team could attract free agents, NCAA, and NHL, this offseason.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tNestor Quixtan<\/a> Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Maple Leafs\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty One of the newest Toronto Maple Leafs rumors suggest that the club sees this year’s top NCAA…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":550142,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5106],"tags":[5,20,5172,4,66,31,5171],"class_list":{"0":"post-550141","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto-maple-leafs","8":"tag-hockey","9":"tag-maple-leafs","10":"tag-mapleleafs","11":"tag-nhl","12":"tag-toronto","13":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs","14":"tag-torontomapleleafs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116384966202886524","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=550141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/550142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=550141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=550141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=550141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}