The Toronto Maple Leafs (21-16-3) remain as inconsistent as ever this NHL season. They're currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and their up and down play has kept them living squarely on the playoff bubble.
Their possession numbers have regressed this season, per Dave Feschuk of The Star, again raising questions of coach Randy Carlyle's future with the team.
Whether or not general manager Dave Nonis will axe Carlyle remains to be seen, but with the current season's outcome lying in the balance and the team desperately needing some type of rejuvenating salve, the embattled Leafs GM has begun surveying the NHL landscape for a move or two that could help right Toronto's floundering ship.
"Nonis is believed to be in the market for a two-way forward and a top-four defenseman, while he's also exploring the possibility of swapping out one top-six forward for another," TheFourthPeriod.com reports.
Joffrey Lupul is one possible top-six forward trade option.
Lupul has reportedly been on the block for some time now, but moving him will be more difficult after the team was recently forced to place him on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. The often-injured Lupul will miss about four weeks, according to Sportsnet.ca.
Another option for the team is defenseman Cody Franson. Franson, 27, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season after signing a one-year deal with the team for the third-straight time. He's currently got 23 points - five goals and 18 assists - putting him seventh in the NHL among defensemen.
"According to a team source, 'It would be in (Franson's) best interest to test the market, but you never know what'll come out of it,'" a separate report from TFP says.
No matter where the big right-shooting defenseman ends up, he'll seek a hefty raise over the $3.3 million he's making this season.
