*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact” button at the top of the page.
*******
The trade chatter is picking up during the All-Star break and after the first domino fell on Wednesday with Calgary shipping center Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks for Andrei Kuzmenko and a package of prospects and draft picks.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his daily spot on FAN 590’s Jeff Marek show indicated that Flames GM Craig Conroy is likely going to continue as a seller, potentially moving out pending free agent defensemen Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin (if they can’t re-sign them) and goaltender Jacob Markstrom (who has term left on his contract).
There had been some rumors regarding the 33-year-old Toronto native garnering some interest from the Ottawa Senators, but Friedman said that is probably not going to happen before the trade deadline with the Sens bound for another early exit, but did hint at continuing interest from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tanev’s former boss Brad Treliving.
The situation with Tanev only makes sense if the Leafs can get the veteran signed to an extension and don’t have to give up a significant future asset like their 2024 first-round pick, or prospects Easton Cowan, Topi Niemela, Matthew Knies, or Fraser Minten, but the odds of that are long. Otherwise, the right-handed blueliner would be a primary target of the Leafs in the summer, when they would have to give up nothing.
*******
Throughout the season, we will check in on the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects to see how they are progressing. The 2021 Draft saw Toronto with only three picks, but it appears the club hit one out of the park with second-rounder Matthew Knies.
Here is how the other players selected in the 2021 Draft are doing:
Ty Voit – LW – Toronto (AHL?)
The Leafs may have found a bargain in the fifth round with Pittsburgh, PA native, as Voit registered over 100 points in his third and final OHL season with Sarnia. Unfortunately, Voit’s first professional training camp ended before it began, as he was injured in the first game of the Traverse City Prospect Tournament.
Voit had eight points in five games with the Newfoundland Growlers and played one game for the Toronto Marlies, but in his AHL debut, he re-injured his shoulder and underwent season-ending surgery. The Leafs said that the youngster would be back for training camp in September.
Vyacheslav Peksa – G – Newfoundland (ECHL)
The 21-year-old was drafted in the sixth round in 2021 from the same Russian club that 2020 fourth-round pick Artur Akhtyamov was selected. Akhtyamov was loaned to another VHL club while Peksa stayed within the Ak-Bars Kazan system.
This season Akhtyamov is splitting time between the KHL and second-level VHL, while Peksa may have seen his opportunity blocked by him being one year younger. The Leafs signed the goalie to an ELC in May, and he has started his North American career in Newfoundland, where he is starting to get more playing time.
Peksa is 3-5-1, with a 3.80 GAA and a .882 save percentage.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»