Drew Doughty won't get an in-season extension from the Kings, and the Maple Leafs are an early team to watch if he hits the market.
Ken Holland has told his captain an extension isn't coming this season. He wants to see where the team is headed before the March deadline.
Right now, it's headed nowhere good. The Kings sit 2-5-2 and have scored just 21 goals, fewest in the league.
Saturday's 3-1 loss in New Jersey didn't help. They're still winless at home at 0-3-0.
Holland has been working the phones for a top-six forward with term, per multiple reports. But Los Angeles has no cap space and limited assets to deal.
Doughty, 36, has one assist through nine games. His $11,000,000 cap hit is the obvious obstacle in any deal.
Toronto has the need. John Chayka has been hunting an impact defenseman, and the Leafs' blue line isn't getting any younger.
Maple Leafs' aging blue line makes Drew Doughty a deadline fit
Chris Tanev is 36 and has dressed for just six games. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is 35, and Jake McCabe is 33.
The Leafs ride four straight wins into Calgary on Monday. But Jim Hiller's group is still giving up 3.2 goals per game.
Adding another veteran to an old blue line sounds backwards. But Toronto isn't shopping for the future, it's shopping for this spring.
The money is the hard part. Toronto would need Los Angeles to retain a big chunk of salary, and maybe a third team to absorb more.
Chasing Doughty at the deadline is like buying a classic car at auction. You know the mileage, and you're paying for one last great road trip.
If Chayka can't land a younger defenseman by March, Doughty should be his fallback. The Kings may be desperate enough by then to make the numbers work.
Los Angeles visits Toronto on November 19. If the Kings are still sinking by then, their captain might be skating in front of his future fans.
Should the Maple Leafs trade for Drew Doughty at the deadline?
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