Michael Mazzei
With the trade deadline looming, the Toronto Maple Leafs are surely considering their options on what moves to make and which pieces can be dealt with if that were to occur.
Should they decide to pull the trigger on another deal, their best asset to get that done is Kasperi Kapanen.
It would be a shame to lose a player like him, especially because of his versatility in the middle-six forward unit, but he is the most likely player on the Leafs roster to get dealt if it meant bringing in a defenceman in return.
There’s a good reason for that. At the time of writing this, Kapanen has 12 goals, 23 assists, and 35 points. He has been getting fairly regular minutes on the penalty kill, including two goals scored while down a man. Additionally, Kapanen has been on the second power-play unit with three assists so far.
All of this to say, a team that is lacking offensive firepower would be very much interested in acquiring a player such as Kapanen. And if Toronto’s desire is to shore up their blue line, then this is the piece that has to be moved in order for it to transpire.
Obviously, it would be in the Leafs’ best interest to hold onto Kapanen and there are no clear signs that he is truly on the trading block. Judging by the overtime winner he scored against the Arizona Coyotes, he’s making a case to give management a tougher time determining what to do with the 23-year-old.
However, if Toronto does indeed want to improve the backend, then they will have little choice but to move Kapanen. He is their best trade piece and the one that could the kind of return many fans have been clamouring for.