It's Confirmed For Mika Zibanejad and the Toronto Maple Leafs

Mika Zibanejad is a player who has certainly had his fair share of ups and downs with the New York Rangers. Unfortunately, last season was worse than good as he had just 20 goals and 62 points.

Just a couple of seasons ago, the center had 39 goals and 91 points. Unfortunately, he was not able to live up to that last season as the Rangers couldn't even reach the playoffs.

In the offseason, the team traded away Chris Kreider. Months before that, they traded away Jacob Trouba. This has left Zibanejad on an island and might get traded as well.

The Toronto Maple Leafs really need a second-line center, and Zibanejad would be a great fit. He is making $8.5 million per season until 2030, and he still has some good years left.

Pair him with William Nylander, and you might just get some magic. However, in order for that to even be an option, the Leafs would have to express a bit of interest first.

Well, as it turns out, they have done just that. According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, it would appear as though the Leafs are a team that would have interest in acquiring Zibanejad.

Will the Leafs go out and make this move right away? Probably not. First, they will look to secure contracts for the likes of Matthew Knies and John Tavares.

However, once that enterprise has been taken care of, we will certainly see general manager Brad Treliving pick up the phone and make calls around the league.

Only time will tell whether or not the Maple Leafs are able to make things happen this offseason. It has always been tough to bring guys the Toronto. Not to mention, teams negotiate harder with the Leafs.

That said, these cannot be used as excuses. Fans want this team to win, and the front office has no choice but to deliver.