3 Toronto Maple Leafs Who Will Probably Get Traded at NHL Deadline

If the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to make a move at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline, then they’re going to have to trade a current roster player or two.

Over the past few years, the Leafs roster has stayed pretty similar, well at least the core. And, if they don’t win again in the playoffs, I’d expect some changes in the offseason.

However, a few players that have been with the franchise for awhile may be on the move before the offseason.

When you look at the team’s roster, there are a few players that are a little overpaid for what they contribute and because of that, they’ll likely be the ones to go. The Leafs are a really good team already so you don’t want to move any of the core pieces, but instead can get creative near the bottom of the roster.

I’d love for the Leafs to make a big splash and trade one of the players I’m going to chat about next, but for whatever reason I still think the team is going to stay put.

For the last few years, they’ve been rumored to the big names but it never really works out. Nick Foligno and Mark Giordano were nice pieces to add over the past few deadline’s, but they’re not cup-changing players.

They can help add depth but the team needs legit talent to turn into the Stanley Cup favorite.

Hopefully I’m wrong because if the Leafs do indeed make a big splash, the following players are the most likely to be on their way out.

Here are the three most likely players that will get traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the deadline this year.

No. 2: Justin Holl

At $2M AAV, Holl is another likely player to be traded. His contract actually provides good value as he seems to have been a better player lately, but he’s realistically the only defenseman that the team would probably trade right now.

As a pending UFA, Holl could return to Toronto, but he’ll more likely than not be with the team long-term, especially if the team traded for someone like Jakob Chychrun, who would take his spot on the roster.

After grinding in the AHL and then spending the majority of a season as a healthy scratch, Holl has turned his career around being an everyday defenseman, but on this roster, he’s clearly the sixth best player, if everyone is healthy.

I just don’t see Holl in the line-up every night for a Stanley Cup winning team, so based off his contract and where he would fit in the line-up, he seems like a likely candidate to get traded at the Deadline.

No. 3: Alex Kerfoot

Kerfoot  can play up-and-down the roster, but he doesn’t really score. He seems to find the right areas and always has good chances, but he’s snake-bitten at can’t find the back of the net.

He’s still a player you want on your roster, but at $3.5M AAV and has a pending UFA, Kerfoot could be the most likely player to get traded.

Based on his contract alone, Kerfoot would be a valuable piece for the Toronto Maple Leafs to move because it could help acquire a $7M player if that team retained 50 percent of their contract. He’s a useful player but he doesn’t provide enough to the Leafs to make him worthwhile to stick around, in my opinion.

If the team can package him with a prospect and a draft-pick, that could be good enough to acquire a big-fish and that’s where the Toronto Maple Leafs should be looking. I know he’s primarily playing third line minutes, but throughout his career in Toronto, he really hasn’t provided any offense at all, when many expected him to be a 20-goal scorer here.

If Toronto is bringing in a top-six forward, expect Kerfoot to be on his way out to make the money work, as he’s one of the most valuable realistic trade pieces on the team’s roster.