Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas outlined his trade deadline plans during a midseason press conference Tuesday, stating that his team is in the market for a forward - preferably a rental.

It's important to remember the Maple Leafs have limited cap flexibility - CapFriendly projects them to have just $130,527 of space at the deadline. More can always be created by moving a player off the active roster or through complicated cap gymnastics, but it's clear they're up against it.

Toronto will probably require the other team to retain salary in a trade - likely the maximum 50% - or the Leafs will have to move out money. Forward Alexander Kerfoot and his $3.5-million cap hit would be the most sensible odd man out in such a scenario.

Additionally, any player coming from an American team to Toronto must quarantine for 14 days before joining the club. The Leafs have just two games this week and two next week, so Dubas could be looking to strike as soon as possible even though the deadline isn't until April 12.

Below, we explore five rentals Toronto could consider.

Note: All stats are as of Tuesday

Nick Foligno, Blue Jackets

Age: 33
Position: LW/RW/C
Cap hit: $5.5M

Foligno has a 10-team no-trade list

Foligno brings the exact type of postseason ruggedness that helped the Columbus Blue Jackets eliminate the Maple Leafs last season. The veteran isn't the most skilled player, but he's a ferocious competitor who'd add a ton of character and grit to the club's bottom nine.

Foligno ranked seventh in hits (212) among all forwards in 2019-20, and his 75 hits this season would lead the Maple Leafs by a significant margin. The Blue Jackets captain can also still chip in on the scoresheet as he's tallied five goals and 12 points through 30 games.

In addition, Foligno brings positional flexibility. Though he's primarily a winger, Foligno ranks third on the Blue Jackets in faceoff wins and is capable of logging minutes up the middle. He's also been a reliable penalty killer who'd give the Leafs' 22nd-ranked unit another option as they look to improve in that department.

Taylor Hall, Sabres

Age: 29
Position: LW
Cap hit: $8M

Hall has a full no-movement clause

Hall's season has been a complete disaster. He's collected just two goals and 14 assists in 27 games for the last-place Sabres. Don't be fooled by his poor numbers, though - the speedy winger can still play.

The former Hart Trophy winner has been victimized by some poor puck luck, converting on just 2.8% of his shots after entering the season as a career 10.4% shooter. He still drives play at a high rate, posting a 55% Corsi For percentage and a 54.1% expected goals for percentage at five-on-five. His individual scoring chances are right in line with his career rates, too.

Landing Hall would require Buffalo to retain 50% of his salary and Kerfoot going the other way, but it could be worth it if Dubas is willing to go all-in. Hall is one of the few impact players available, and he can possibly be had below market value.

Mikael Granlund, Predators

Age: 29
Position: RW/C
Cap hit: $3.75M

Granlund carries the highest upside on this list outside of Hall. The Finnish forward hasn't fit in Nashville and a change of scenery could be beneficial. Granlund is capable of playing both center and wing and would provide the Leafs with multiple different looks in their top six due to his ability as both a playmaker and scorer.

He's also proven to be reliable at both ends of the ice. Granlund ranked in the upper percentiles last season in valuable offensive and defensive metrics such as shot creation and zone exits, respectively.

The 29-year-old has averaged a career-high 2:19 of ice time on the penalty kill this season and his offensive bona fides would also make him a valuable addition on the power play.

Tanner Pearson, Canucks

Age: 28
Position: LW
Cap hit: $3.75M

Pearson isn't the sexiest option on this list, but he could be the most sensible. We saw how the 14-day quarantine affected Pierre-Luc Dubois earlier this season, but any sort of post-isolation fatigue/rust wouldn't be a concern with Pearson since he plays in Canada.

He's registered just 11 points in 32 games but he's been a consistent offensive producer in his career, averaging 20 goals per season over the past four years. His underlying numbers aren't very strong - 48.5% expected goals for percentage - but he and primary linemate Bo Horvat generally draw tough assignments and start more shifts in the defensive zone.

Pearson would be versatile enough to play on any of Toronto's top three lines and likely wouldn't cost much if Vancouver sells. Plus, he has valuable playoff experience, winning a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014.

Kyle Palmieri, Devils

Age: 30
Position: RW/LW
Cap hit: $4.65M

Palmieri has an eight-team no-trade list

It's been a difficult year for Palmieri and the Devils. The New York native was among several on the club who spent time in COVID-19 protocol this season, and he's struggled to find his rhythm amid a contract year. He has just four goals through 24 outings, but a career-worst 6.8% shooting percentage suggests he's had some tough luck.

Palmieri's larger body of work tells a different story from 2021. The 5-foot-11 winger averaged 26 goals per season over his previous five campaigns, and his elite shot would be a welcome addition to a loaded Leafs arsenal.

The veteran winger has never had the luxury of playing alongside talents as elite as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, or John Tavares, and his offensive ceiling while surrounded by those players is worth exploring.

(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick, A3Z performance tool)

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Brandon Tanev was handed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Jarred Tinordi on Tuesday.

The play occurred during the second period, and Tinordi was later ruled out for the game. Tanev, who scored earlier in the contest, was visibly upset with the call.

Tanev ranked fourth in the NHL in hits (123) entering Tuesday's outing. The 6-foot winger has never received supplemental discipline through 291 career games.

The Bruins claimed Tinordi off waivers from the Nashville Predators on Feb. 27. He's averaged 17:47 of ice time over seven games with Boston.

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The Great Eight continues to climb the ladder.

Washington Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin passed Phil Esposito to claim sole possession of sixth place on the NHL's all-time goals list Tuesday night against the New York Islanders.

The legendary Esposito offered his congratulations to Ovechkin.

Ovi accomplished the feat in vintage fashion, blasting home a one-timer from his office on the power play.

The tally was the 35-year-old's 12th of the season.

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Former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford admitted he tried to trade for franchise icon Marc-Andre Fleury this past offseason.

Fleury reportedly became available for trade after the Vegas Golden Knights re-signed fellow goaltender Robin Lehner to a five-year, $25-million contract.

"That’s one of the reasons we decided to buy out Jack Johnson," Rutherford told The Athletic's Josh Yohe. "I was trying to clear money for Marc."

Rutherford admitted he even broke one of the unwritten rules of NHL GMs and contacted the Golden Knights about his availability while Vegas was still in the playoffs.

"I did what I never do and will never do again if I work again," Rutherford said. "I called a general manager (Kelly McCrimmon) during their playoff series (against Dallas). I said, 'If you’re moving Marc, you make sure you call me. I want him.'"

Rutherford said talks were never deeply involved due to the cap gymnastics of such a deal (Fleury's AAV is $7 million, and both Pittsburgh and Vegas are up against the cap). That didn't stop the 72-year-old from making a big push for the netminder, though.

"I was serious. Very serious," he said. "Very willing to give a lot to get him, too. What I think is a lot and what the other team thinks is a lot may be two different things. I wasn’t looking at it as them giving him away. I was certainly willing to pay the price to get him back. I tried."

Fleury, 36, is aging like fine wine, sporting a .936 save percentage and 1.77 goals-against average in 20 contests this season.

The Penguins ended up trading Matt Murray to the Ottawa Senators and re-signing Tristan Jarry to a three-year, $10.5-million contract.

Rutherford, who resigned from his post in January, made plenty of big moves during his time in Pittsburgh, but he said sending Fleury to Vegas "was the hardest thing I ever had to do as a manager."

Fleury waived his no-movement clause prior to the 2017 expansion draft, where he was taken by Vegas. The Golden Knights also received a second-round pick from the Pens for taking the goaltender.

Fleury won three Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh and is the franchise's all-time leader in wins.

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Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said he's willing to trade a top prospect to help his club's chances in 2021, according to The Athletic's Joshua Kloke.

The April 12 trade deadline was a prominent talking point during Dubas' mid-season availability Tuesday, and the general manager divulged that he hopes to complete a trade sooner than later to mitigate the 14-day quarantine period between Canada and the United States. He added that he'd prefer a rental player due to the flat salary cap, and Toronto is keen on bolstering its forward group.

"We had to move out some forwards that were good for us in order to add on the back end, and thus we feel like that's an area where we may want to look a bit more," Dubas said, per TSN's Kristen Shilton.

Some of Toronto's top prospects include Nick Robertson, Rasmus Sandin, and 2020 first-round pick Rodion Amirov.

The Leafs are right up against the $81.5-million salary cap, so they'd likely need to move a player out or have another team retain salary if a trade is made.

Toronto currently sits sixth in the NHL and first in the North Division with 40 points through 30 games, but its grip on the top spot weakened after losing four of its last five games.

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The NHL will not delay the upcoming 2021 draft and it will proceed as scheduled in July, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The league was reportedly considering pushing the draft as late as the summer of 2022 and potentially even holding back-to-back drafts. Many general managers supported the idea.

Due to COVID-19, many hockey leagues around the world have either been playing modified seasons or haven't been playing at all. Evaluating eligible players has become much more difficult for NHL teams as a result.

"We've had different issues associated in Europe as well," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said last week, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "And that is compounded by the fact that the club scouts, who are charged and employed to scout these prospects, to learn about them and to advise their clubs on those prospects, haven't been able for the most part to travel or watch them in person."

The 2021 NHL Draft is scheduled to take place July 23-24.

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New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin will address the assault allegation that led to his recent leave of absence after the season.

"It's probably not the time to discuss it right now," Panarin said Monday, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I have nothing to hide. I will address everything after the season, but right now, the focus is on the game and not these discussions."

The Rangers announced on Feb. 22 that Panarin would be away from the team indefinitely after his former KHL coach, Andrei Nazarov, said the winger got into a physical altercation with an 18-year-old woman in Latvia in 2011.

New York called the allegation a "fabricated story" and said it was "an intimidation tactic" in response to Panarin's political stances. Panarin has been publicly critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past and expressed support for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Multiple former KHL teammates of Panarin disputed the allegation, and the league said it never received a complaint.

Panarin ultimately missed nine games while away from the Rangers, returning to the lineup March 13. The 29-year-old has recorded 22 points in 16 games this season.

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