Toronto Maple Leafs Roundtable: Most Likely to be Traded

Mike Stephens

At this point, it’s not so much of a question of who is “most likely” to be gone. It’s more a matter of “who NEEDS” to be gone. The Leafs are right up against the roster and contract limit, and no matter how you slice it, someone must go.

That someone, through necessity, is Nikita Soshnikov.

As his long-term conditioning loan comes to a close on Saturday, the Leafs are now forced into a predicament. They must either place him on waivers and risk losing him for nothing, trade him, or put him on the active roster and send someone else down.

Considering how dominant both Travis Dermott and Kasperi Kapanen have been in their NHL stints, there’s no logical justification in sending either of them back down.

Unfortunately, Sosh is the odd man out.

Luckily, every time he pulls on Marlies jersey, his trade value goes up. In the three games of his conditioning stint so far, he’s put up four points, all while looking far too good for the AHL.

There’s no doubt that Sosh is good enough for the NHL. As I’ve previously mentioned, a team like Edmonton could benefit greatly from his services. They’re extremely thin on the wings, and Peter Chiarelli seems to love those “crash and bang” types.

As for the price? Well, that’s the sticking point.

At best, the most the Leafs could command in return would be a mid-range draft pick, one in the third or fourth round range. While talented, Soshnikov’s health is a serious question mark, as he’s never managed to make it through a full season without injury.

Regardless, I’d bet a large sum on Soshnikov changing area codes once the trade deadline has come and gone.