Yahoo Sports Five Maple Leafs Who Could Be Trade Options In The New Year
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Like all NHL teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a work in progress.
Toronto has some of the best depth in the NHL, but Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving undoubtedly wants to improve his team in anticipation of a long Stanley Cup playoff run. That means making space on the roster and in the club's salary cap.
Here are five Leafs players who could be dealt by or before the NHL's March 7 trade deadline if the team looks to make upgrades. In alphabetical order:
Pontus Holmberg, C
Holmberg is in coach Craig Berube’s regular rotation, but the Swede doesn’t provide much offense, as he has just two goals and six points in 32 games and one point in his last 10 games.
Holmberg will be an RFA at season’s end, but the Leafs have many players in his situation, and Treliving could deal him without much outcry.
Toronto has given Holmberg many opportunities, and he hasn’t made the most of them. He may not hurt you on the defensive end, but he’s almost assuredly not going to help you in the offensive zone. That’s why he’s likely to be dealt to make room for a higher-impact performer, and another club can try to unlock his talents.
David Kampf, C
Kampf scored in Toronto’s win over the New York Islanders Tuesday, giving him two goals in his last three games. Those are his only two goals in 25 games this year, and he only has six points.
Kampf’s contract situation makes him somewhat harder to deal – he’s signed for two more years after this one, at a $2.4-million annual salary – but Treliving may have to attach a sweetener to convince a team to take on his contract.
That should be a good trade-off, as the Buds could use that cap space to spend on players with more upside. Kampf is a defensive specialist, and while he might fare better elsewhere, he has already hit his ceiling in Leafs Land.
Ryan Reaves, RW
We all know why Reaves gets regular minutes from Berube: he’s a physical menace, but otherwise, his impact on the game is minimal. In 25 games, he has two assists –one on Nov. 9 and one on New Year's Eve. He's also averaging just 8:09 of ice time.
He could easily be traded in part to add his $1.35-million cap hit to make any deal work, and to be honest, we think Toronto could replace his toughness internally with relative ease.
Reaves is now 37 years old, and while he’s under contract for another season after this one, his time as a Leaf might be drawing to an end. Another team might see value in him.
Nick Robertson, RW
Clearly the most talented player on this list – and the most valuable trade chip Toronto has – Robertson would be a welcome addition to any team due to his speed and ability to finish plays.
He has six goals and nine points in 31 games, and while the potential is there for him to entice an opponent into trading for him, the opportunities likely won’t get better in Leafs Land than the ones he’s already received.
Robertson is an RFA at the end of the season. While he’ll get a raise on the $875,000 he’s currently making, Toronto’s looming cap crunch will almost assuredly mean he doesn’t get the raise he’ll be looking for. The Leafs can convert Robertson into a more experienced veteran hand, but his unrealized promise makes him expendable.
Related: Is The Writing On The Wall For Nick Robertson With The Toronto Maple Leafs?
Conor Timmins, D
As a fixture on the Leafs’ third defense pairing with Simon Benoit, Timmins is the most protected Toronto blueliner. But he’s not particularly hard on the puck, and he only has six assists and seven points in 34 games. At a cap hit of $1.1 million, the 26-year-old isn’t an expensive asset.
Timmins will be an RFA this summer, but rather than letting him walk as a free agent, Treliving could move him for a low draft pick or prospect – or, maybe just for his cap space. In any case, Timmins is expendable.
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