Leafs GM Kyle Dubas confirms that he is willing to part with a top prospect ahead of the deadline

Things are about to pick up in Toronto with the trade deadline looming and GM Kyle Dubas declaring his willingness on Tuesday to part with a top Maple Leafs prospect in order to improve his club ahead of the postseason.

Dubas had taken part in a near 40-minute media availability on Tuesday afternoon where he answered a myriad of questions, including the big one, being whether or not he would consider moving a top prospect at the trade deadline, to which he replied "yes".

Now, that does not necessarily mean that the Leafs WILL move one of their top prospects, presumably being Nick Robertson, Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren or 2020 15th overall pick Rodion Amirov. What it really means is that the Leafs will listen on any possible deals including one of these young assets so long as it means providing the team with a tangible upgrade that can help them to win now, whether that be in net, on the blueline or up front, though an upgrade at forward appears to be the main area of focus at the present time.

What this tells us though is that Dubas is not thinking small here. If he is going to utilize one of these young players in a deal to make an upgrade, it's likely going to be a large one.

Given the Leafs' current cap situation, the main problem they face in any negotiation is that if they bring back a player with term, it will eat into some of the money they will require in order to get Frederik Andersen and Zach Hyman re-signed in the offseason, and depending on the length of the term, it may also impact the team's ability to get Morgan Rielly locked up to an extension during 2021-22 season or shortly thereafter in the offseason that follows.

I count myself among those who are extremely intrigued to see what Dubas and company have up their sleeves for the trade deadline. Something tells me it's going to be wild and something that nobody sees coming.

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