Matt Stajan is among the Leafs players allegedly on the trade block.

At the end of October, there were rumors that the Blackhawks had been exchanging interest with the Toronto Maple Leafs, which led to a flurry of speculation around the players either side would have interest in if a trade was imminent.

Both teams’ General Managers, the Blackhawks’ Stan Bowman and Toronto’s Brian Burke, didn’t say much at that point. However, the evolution of November has hit both teams, and circumstances are becoming more immediate for a potential deal to go down.

The Blackhawks are negotiating new contracts with three of their best players right now, but keeping Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith likely means someone else on the current Hawks roster has to leave. If the “tagging rule” means as much as it appears it does, that move might have to happen before the three new deals are signed.

The Hawks have said they would like to have everything ready for a press conference when the team returns from the Circus Trip at the beginning of December.

Meanwhile, Burke was quoted by The Fourth Period (TFP) on November 19 as saying “”I have been exploring the trade front since I got here, but it is hard to do, and if this group can’t get it done then the next step is to send somebody down and bring up one of the kids.”

This was really the first time Burke had not only called his team out in the media this year, but also publicly spoke at any length about potential player movement. From the tone of his conversation, it appears Burke intends to get younger in Toronto.

TFPalso mentioned that veterans Tomas Kaberle and Jason Blake could be on the move this year, while Alexei Ponikarovsky, Matt Stajan and Vesa Toskala are all on the block as well. Earlier this year, when Cristobal Huet was struggling, a deal for Toskala and Kaberle had been rumored; it appears now that Huet has settled in as the Hawks top goalie.

If you have read any of the rumorson CommittedIndians, you’ll know that there were conversations between Dale Tallon and Toronto before Tallon was relieved of his duties as Hawks’ GM this summer. The continued struggles of the Leafs, and Burke’s now-public stance that there may be a fire sale, make Toronto a popular trade rumor.

Then came Saturday night.

TFP reported that Blackhawks assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and a Hawks scout were among the 12 scouts/personnel people that attended the Leafs game in Toronto.

The fact that the Blackhawks have apparently set a timetable of December 1 to get the contracts done with Kane, Keith and Toews done, and someone must go, having Cheveldayoff in Toronto might be an indication that something might go down between the Hawks and Leafs soon.

Stay tuned.

"The Monster" comes to Chicago on Friday night.

On paper, there’s very little reason to think the Blackhawks will lose on Friday night when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Hawks are playing well, have a powerful offense, and their defense has been outstanding. Toronto, meanwhile, has been outscored by more than one goal per game so far, doesn’t play much defense, and has trouble scoring.

Friday night should be a layup for the Hawks… which is why it’s a dangerous trap game that could cost the Hawks points if they take Toronto for granted.

Sunday night, which is also Jeremy Roenick Heritage Night at the United Center, the Hawks host the top team in the Western Conference, the San Jose Sharks. That game will serve as a good benchmark to close the first quarter of the season, letting the Hawks know how they stack up against the leaders in the conference.

Toronto comes to Chicago playing as well as they have all year, having won two of their last three. Granted, one was at a Carolina team that might be one of the worst teams in recent memory, but beating the Detroit Red Wings is nothing to be ashamed of.

Allowing five goals to Minnesota on Tuesday is worthy of shame, but beating the Red Wings 5-1 last Saturday is a good effort for a last place team.

Jonas Gustavsson certainly deserves better than the 3-3-3 record he’s posted this season. His .912 save percentage is good enough to win more than three games, while his 2.77 goals against average is as much an indication of the poor defense in front of him as it isa reflection of his goaltending.

The irony in Toronto is that their best player is Tomas Kaberle, a defenseman. But he’s more in the mold of Brian Campbell than Brent Seabrook, which is why Toronto has struggled at the blue line this year. Mike Komisarek was placed on the IR on Thursday with a quad injury, and is expected to miss a number of weeks.

Kaberle has been a machine for Toronto, though. He already has 11 power play assists this year among his 20 points through just 16 games. His names has floated through a handful of trade rumors already this year because of his production (and $4 million cap number). In fact, he’s been mentioned in rumors involving the Blackhawks.

But even with a good Kaberle and a solid Gustavsson, the Blackhawks should smoke the Leafs on Friday night.

The issue the Hawks, like any young team, has is overlooking an inferior opponent when they have a strong test just 48 hours later. Toronto might not be a very good hockey team, but they’re still professionals. If the Hawks take them for granted, like they did with Vancouver in October, they could lose the game and players to injury.