Toronto Maple Leafs: Kasperi Kapanen is Biggest Trade Chip

The NHL Trade Deadline is less than a week away and the Toronto Maple Leafs are gearing up for what they hope to be is a long Stanley Cup run.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been streaky as of late, going 2-2-1 in their last five games. Players have been struggling and the team needs to figure it out before playoffs begin.

Improving the team is still an option and with the trade deadline just five days away, the pressure is growing for GM Kyle Dubas to make the required adjustments. The Leafs already made a move last month for Jake Muzzin, but it’s safe to say that the Leafs could still benefit from the acquisition of another piece or two.

But what will the Leafs give up? A team on the brink of competing, right out of a rebuild doesn’t want to give too many assets up. Looking at the roster, there are only a few pieces that are desirable enough for other teams to bite without putting a dent in the Leafs own line-up. This is why Kasperi Kapanen is the perfect trade chip for the Leafs moving into the trade deadline.

What Kapanen Brings to the Table

Kasperi Kapanen, as we all know, is a speedy winger who has been playing quite excellently this season. In the absence of William Nylander during the first half of the season, Kapanen assumed his top line role alongside Auston Matthews and excelled at it so much that he still sits there today.

Racking up 37 points in 59 games this season, there’s no argument that Kapanen has turned into full-fledged NHLer. His speed on the wing makes him an offensive threat and the fact that he’s only 22 makes him very attractive to many teams.

On top of all this, Kapanen has been heating up as of late, with six points in his last five games. His hot streak may have increased his trade value just at the right time if the Leafs truly are looking to shop him. A player like this is attractive to teams all over the league.

Why He Is Expendable

You might be thinking, if Kapanen is so good, why would the Leafs want to deal him?

Well with Kapanen or not, the Leafs are offensively loaded, but defensively slacking. Even before Nylander was re-signed, he was rumoured to be shopped for a defenceman. Now that he is back and playing well, it looks like Kapanen finds himself as the expendable one.

Kapanen’s attraction to other teams, including the value he holds and the fact that he is not one of either Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner or William Nylander, makes him a forward that can be shopped. Not to mention, he’s an RFA at the end of the season and the Leafs are already struggling with cap crunching.

If Kapanen is dealt, Nylander can move back into his assumed top-line role. A call up to replace him is likely and his shoes are not as big of an issue to fill as, say, Nylander’s would have been, had he been dealt earlier in the season.

What He Can Fetch the Leafs

There’s a couple avenues through which Kapanen has been speculated to be flipped.

The first and the most obvious is for help on the defensive end. The Leafs may have acquired Muzzin, but another defenceman seems to be the Leafs priority. They have been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes and it wouldn’t be surprising if they have been taking looks at defenceman Brett Pesce.

The Leafs could also look to improve their forward core a little. Micheal Ferland and Wayne Simmonds are both forwards that have been rumoured to currently being shopped. The Leafs lack of grittiness and toughness has been a subject of much discussion. Although I don’t think the Leafs should pursue either forward to fix this, Kapanen may be sufficient enough if Dubas was to go that route.

Kapanen’s trade value would probably be able to fetch any one of these guys, with the appropriately added draft pick to increase value.

The point is, Kapanen is probably the Leafs most valuable forward who’s not untouchable and who can be shipped off without making too much of a dent in the line-up. The Leafs may want to consider dangling him as bait, hoping for a bite worth their time.

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