NHL Rumors: Latest Buzz on Samuel Girard, Maple Leafs' Trade Discussions

Even though the NHL trade deadline is more than four months away, it hasn't taken long for a major move to happen early in the 2021-22 season. And it may not take until March for more to take place.

Last week, the Buffalo Sabres finally traded Jack Eichel after months of rumors and speculation, sending the center to the Vegas Golden Knights. It will take a while for that move to make an impact in Vegas, considering Eichel needs to undergo neck surgery, but it changes the landscape of the NHL for the future.

What other moves could be made soon? Here's some of the latest buzz from around the NHL.

Will Avalanche Decide to Trade Girard?

Before Eichel joined the Golden Knights, there were plenty of rumored potential suitors. Among those teams were the Colorado Avalanche, who could have bolstered an already strong offense by completing a deal with the Sabres.

However, it appears Colorado may have been somewhat close during trade negotiations with Buffalo.

According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, the Avalanche "had the opportunity" to send a package centered around defenseman Samuel Girard to the Sabres in exchange for Eichel. But Colorado wanted Buffalo to agree to "retain some of Eichel's $10 million cap."

If the Avs were willing to part with Girard once, perhaps they'd be willing to do so again in the future. As Chambers pointed out, the 23-year-old Girard may be "expendable" because of how impressive rookie defenseman Bowen Byram has been this season.

Girard, who is in his fifth season with Colorado, hasn't fared too well to begin the 2020-21 season, as he has three assists and a plus/minus rating of minus-seven through his first eight games. He's been a solid player throughout his career, though, and he could have plenty of trade value.

Even if the Avalanche dealt Girard, they would still have plenty of defensive depth on a unit powered by Byram, Devon Toews and Cale Makar (when he returns from injury). So it could make sense for them to move Girard in order to acquire more offense.

If Colorado opts to keep Girard long term, he could be around for quite some time, as he remains under contract through the end of the 2026-27 season.

Maple Leafs Potentially Looking to Trade a Defenseman?

The Avalanche may not be the only team considering trading from their defensive depth. The Toronto Maple Leafs also have plenty of talented defensemen, and it seems they may also be thinking about dealing one to another team.

The Athletic's James Mirtle reported that the Leafs have been talking to other teams about several of the defensemen who are on their roster. And these could be discussions that lead to a trade taking place.

"This could be simply gauging the market as to their value, but I think there's more to it than that," Mirtle wrote.

Mirtle added that it's unlikely Toronto is considering trading any of the following defenders: Morgan Rielly, Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren, T.J. Brodie or Jake Muzzin. If that's the case, then the Maple Leafs may be considering trading either Justin Holl or Travis Dermott.

By moving either Holl (set to make $2 million each of the next two seasons) or Dermott ($1.5 million each of the next two seasons), the Maple Leafs could clear some cap space, which Mirtle noted would be a factor in their recent discussions. He also noted that Toronto believes it has seven NHL-caliber defensemen, so there's one who would get left out of the mix by staying with the team.

The Maple Leafs are off to a 7-5-1 start, but they rank 26th in the NHL with 2.54 goals per game. So they could use an offensive boost in return if they decide to trade away from their defense.