With the NHL season winding down and the playoffs set to begin in a couple of weeks, many players have already begun the search for new homes.
Some are trying to move, but others are simply trying to get out of the situation they’re in.
One NHL player has been on the move a little longer than others.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ top defenseman is going to be a free agent in 2017, and he may not be the only player who will be moving on.
On Monday, the team announced that it had acquired forward Jonathan Marchessault from the Ottawa Senators for a 2017 fourth-round pick and a 2017 second-round draft pick in exchange for defenseman Jonathan Dahlen and a third-round selection in 2017.
Marchessaults deal is expected to be signed during the NHL draft, which begins on Thursday.
This comes after the Leafs signed Dahlen to a two-year, $5.75 million contract in February, which is currently scheduled to run through the 2020-21 season.
However, MarcheSSault may not have a deal signed until January of 2022.
In the meantime, Marchelssault is likely to be one of the top prospects in the league in the next two years.
There’s a good chance that he could be the top defenseman in the entire league.
With the Leafs, Marchemassault has spent the past two seasons playing alongside Phil Kessel, who is one of three NHL players in history to score a goal and an assist in the same season.
The other two are Patrick Kane and David Backes, both of whom are also producers of the most goals and assists in NHL history.
While MarcheSssault and Kessel have both had to deal with injury issues over the years, Marchenssault has had the best season of his career since being traded to the Leafs in 2013.
He has scored 40 goals and 70 points in 82 games, and has posted a career-high plus-35 rating, helping the Leafs win the Stanley Cup in 2016.
In 2017, MarChessault put up a career high with 46 points in 58 games.
The 27-year-old also led the Leafs with 10 goals and 16 assists in his first season with the team.
In addition to his stellar play on the ice, Marchellssault had some big-time chemistry with the likes of Jonathan Bernier and Mike Babcock, which helped the team to a surprising playoff berth.
There are plenty of teams who are interested in Marchelson, but if the Leafs do indeed trade him, Marschessault will be one to keep an eye on.
For the full story on the NHL’s top black hockey player, click here
