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Oilers trade could solve Leafs' Alex Kerfoot problem

Alexander Kerfoot has just one goal in 23 games this season for the Toronto Maple Leafs but the Edmonton Oilers are in the trade market for a forward following the loss of Evander Kane to injury.

Video Transcript

- So it's been an interesting season for Edmondton so far. They're not in a division spot at the moment. You know, McDavid and Draisaitl still doing their thing. McDavid looks like he's going to go for the rocket. Goaltending has been up and down. Jack Campbell hasn't been the best. And apparently, Edmonton is in the market for a forward, an affordable one.

So how does this affect the Leafs? It does, and it doesn't. I mean, if Edmonton is looking for a forward-- and the Leafs do have some forwards that I don't think they would mind moving on from, Alex Kerfoot in particular, who at least fans, including myself, have had a lot of gripes with this season. It's just, he doesn't produce enough to make and contribute to the cap hit that he does. You know what I mean?

Like, he makes 3 and 1/2, but doesn't have many points, only has, like, one goal this season. Yes, he does the little things. He works well on the penalty kill. You know, he can be a good forechecker at times. But it's just the raw production that just isn't there. And in fact, you have players now like Jarnkrok and Holmberg who are starting to do the things that he can do, sometimes even at a better rate.

So I'm looking at Kerfoot, I'm looking at the dynamic of the team, and I just don't think there's a fit there anymore. Can that fit work in a team like Edmonton? I wouldn't be surprised. I think Edmonton could really use him. I think they can use him in different areas-- power play, penalty kill, even strength. I think he can be a great addition to the middle six, if need be. Now, do the contracts and the salary work? I don't know. Maybe the Leafs would have to take something back or maybe retain salary out of him. I don't know. But that could work. Kerfoot's on the last year of his deal. So maybe that's something Dubas could be interested in.

But whether it's Edmonton or a different team, I just think that the way the team is kind of running at the moment, I don't think Kerfoot can catch up anymore. I'm not trying to say that he's a bad player or anything. Again, there are a lot of good things that he's doing. But just, there are players that are surpassing him. There are players who have taken this little stretch of the season and kind of elevated their game a little bit. And I haven't seen that much from Kerfoot, at least offensively.

And if Kerfoot is going to be a player that [INAUDIBLE] use, for example, in the top six to play with Matthews or play with Tavares, he has to be able to bury those chances, and he hasn't been. So if there's a realm, if there's a universe, or a scenario where it makes sense for Edmonton and the Leafs to kind of come together on a deal, Kerfoot does make the most sense.

But whether it's Edmonton or a different team, I do think we're watching the last set of games for Kerfoot-- for Kerfoot. And of course, whenever that trade does happen, hopefully it takes-- hopefully it takes place with a team that the Leafs have already faced because that revenge goal would be really, really frustrating.