Ok, I know I said this would be up last night, but I saw this at hockeybuzz.com, and spent the rest of the night fighting a severe relapse of Leaf Nation Syndrome, where the slightest rumor is automatically upgraded to morning headlines reading LEAFS WIN FIRST CUP IN 43 YEARS!!
Putting aside Kovalchuk and the incredible talent he would add to the Leafs, let’s look at some pieces that the Leafs are most likely to move in the coming weeks. We have no draft picks of any significant value, so any trades will have to involve either current members of the roster or prospects. Ian White, Jonas Gustavsson and Nazem Kadri should all be off limits. (Although, White could draw some interest – on pace for 12 goals and 37 points from the blueline. If the price is right, Burke will have to give it some thought) Niklas Hagman is looking like he should be a keeper, and after what was given up for Kessel, he’s obviusly not going anywhere. No team in their right mind would take Toskala for anything more than a bag of pucks, and even then, Burke would probably have to throw in some cash. After last summer, it’s clear Burke doesn’t want to move Luke Schenn either.
Matt Stajan is currently the team’s highest scoring forward, and he’s an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. He could be a good fit as a second line center on a number of playoff hopefuls, including Nashville, New York (Rangers), Ottawa, Boston and, most importantly in my mind, Atlanta. Whether or not Burke plans to re-sign the kid, I don’t know, but if a high stakes prize like Kovalchuk is at stake, he might not have a choice.
Alexei Ponikarovsky is another potential piece that the Leafs could use. He’s having a pretty good year offensively, and there’s a couple of teams that are a little weak offensively that could use a second line winger that’s on pace for a 25-30 goal season. New Jersey is currently leading the Eastern Conference, but they have the 5th lowest goal output in the conference. Phoenix, Calgary and Detroit are three teams out West that all consider themselves serious playoff contenders, but also have low offensive numbers.
Tomas Kaberle is, without a doubt, the Leafs’ most valuable asset, but Brian Burke has stated that he won’t ask the longtime Leaf defenseman to waive his no-trade clause. Honestly, if Burke expects to make any sort of splash at the deadline, I don’t see how he does it without moving the 4th highest scoring defenseman in the league. For sure, if Eklund is correct, and the Leafs are going tomake a serious bid at getting Kovalchuk, I would think Kaberle, perhaps Stajan and at least one of the Leafs’ better prospects (Stalberg?) have to be in the deal.
Nikolai Kulemin could also generate some interest, given his recent success as a member of the Leafs top line, but he’s not going to bring anything substantial in return on his own.
Stajan, Poni, Stempniak and John Mitchell are all going to be unrestricted free agents at year’s end, as will grinders Wayne Primeau, Jamal Mayers and the league’s worst player, Rickard Wallin. Of those players, Stajan and Ponikarovsky are probably the only two of any real value, although Stempniak may draw the interest of a team looking to add a decent two way player for their 3rd line.
What makes Burke’s job simple is the fact that the Leafs need help in just about every area, which makes every team in the league a potential trading partner. Where Burke’s job is difficult is the fact that Toronto doesn’t really have much to work with in terms of pieces with which to entice those trading partners to give up valuable assets of their own, especially with no draft picks to sweeten the deal. But, this is exactly the reason Burke was brought to Toronto, and I’d expect some noteworthy news to be made in the near future, as he continues the arduous process of turning this team into a future playoff contender.