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Rumor mill: Bowen Byram in Vancouver to prepare Quinn Hughes’ departure?
Marc-Olivier Cook
Rumor mill: Bowen Byram in Vancouver to prepare Quinn Hughes’ departure?
Credit: Getty Images
The Canucks have their noses in the Bowen Byram file.

And there’s a reason why.

With the rumors surrounding Quinn Hughes and his future in Vancouver…

The club captain seems to be open to the idea of continuing his career under other skies, which is why the Canucks are currently evaluating the option of preparing his departure.

And that’s where Bowen Byram’s name comes into the discussion. The two guys have a rather similar style, but we know that Hughes has an extra notch on his belt…

Bowen Byram has impressive qualities in his game.

He skates well, he has an undeniable offensive flair, he’s dangerous when he has space in the opponent’s zone… That’s why I like to make the comparison with Quinn Hughes.

They have similar strengths.

That said, we know that the Sabres are going to ask a lot for the young defenseman’s services because he seems to be on the verge of blossoming in the NHL.

Will the Canucks be willing to pay the big price to get him out of Buffalo? That’s the question…

Clubs line up for Marchand

Brad Marchand had an extraordinary playoff run.

He could have won the Conn-Smythe, so good was he… but ultimately, seeing the NHL give the trophy to Sam Bennett wasn’t crazy either.

He deserved it, too.

But to get back to Marchand, we know that his file will be one of the most important on the market this summer.

And Darren Dreger went even further on TSN 1050… saying that “all the clubs” with Stanley Cup aspirations will be interested in the unloved player’s services.

Jets, Leafs, Panthers, Golden Knights, Kings, Avalanche, Capitals, Oilers…

These clubs will have a chance of going all the way next year, because they’ll still have an excellent roster.

That said, could we see Marchand sign with one of these teams?

His clan would like to get a contract worth $8.5 million per season, and maybe a mystery club will join the race to steal him on the open market.

But if he wants to give himself the best chance of winning another Stanley Cup… there aren’t a million options either.

Leafs explore their options on the trade market

There will be changes in Toronto this summer.

Mitch Marner seems to be on the verge of leaving the organization… and there’s also the John Tavares situation to keep an eye on.

I expect Tavares to stay in town, but not Marner.

In short, Toronto is already thinking about what’s next. And according to David Pagnotta, who was on the Leafs Morning Take podcast… right now, the Leafs are more interested in exploring the trade market than the free agent market.

I tend to think this is a good thing, because Toronto has a habit of giving out bad contracts on July 1.

We tend to spend because there are high expectations all the time… and we try to improve the team as much as possible – even if it doesn’t work every time.

Having said that, I really wonder what the management over there are thinking right now.

Do they want to find a replacement for Marner? Or do they want to improve the defensive brigade, which has been struggling for some time now?

If not, which players do we want to target with the Leafs?

One thing’s for sure: if it’s shaping up to be an interesting summer in Montreal… it’s the same in Toronto.


Overtime

– Same thing here!

– Retirement for Gabriel Dumont.

– Well done.

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