D.J. Llewellyn
Out of all the pieces I see Dubas potentially moving, their best trade is Kasperi Kapanen.
While both he and Andreas Johnsson are wingers that have similar production level, which lies potentially around 20 goals and a total of 40 – 50 points a season, Kapanen can play up and down the lineup and he’s likely the guy other teams would want.
Kappy has the pedigree of being the son of a former NHL player and a 1st round pick. He scores big goals in big games (such as his gold medal winner at the WJC) and a ridiculous amount of speed teams notice.
He’s also a little younger than Johnsson which also might help his value a bit in the eyes of another General Manager. Ultimately, if the Leafs plan on trading for a decent defenseman, they will likely have to give a combination of assets with Kappy being the key piece.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of wingers on the right side of their lineup. That makes Johnsson’s or Kerfoot’s ability to play left-wing or centre more valuable to the team.
Kappy is the guy I’d prefer to keep most out of the three, but if that’s what it takes to really help our blue line, that’s what it takes. The only question is how much value does Dubas himself see in Kapanen.