Will the Maple Leafs move Tomas Kaberle?
Since Brian Burke arrived in Toronto a year and a half ago becoming the general manger (GM) of the Maple Leafs, rumours have been swirling about trading defenceman Tomas Kaberle. Burke has been open about the fact that he is willing to move Kaberle, but has made it known that they will not trade the defender unless the offer is right.
Why move Kaberle?
Tomas Kaberle has been the most prized possession of the Maple Leafs since Mats Sundin left the organization three years ago. Since that time, the club has been going through a massive rebuild. Admitting that what they were trying to do in the past is not longer viable in the new NHL, major changes needed to be made. The first of which was going younger and beginning to develop talent rather than acquiring it through trade or free agent signings.
When Burke took over he inherited a terrible team, full of dead weight and massive contacts. The only valuable player with a reasonable contract was Kaberle.
Trying to change the face of the organization and get back some young stars, Kaberle seemed to be the only player worth anything on the open market. Therefore trading him seemed inevitable. However, over the past year and a half, the Leafs have not been getting the offers they thought they would. This has caused them to hold onto the Czech born defender longer than expected.
At this moment, the Maple Leafs are stacked on defence and in need of a big forward. Burke believes Kaberle represents the piece that can be moved to acquire that forward.
Can the Leafs get what they want?
Recently, many have started questioning as to whether or not Kaberle actually has the trade value many Leafs fans believe he does. He is consistently in the top 10 in scoring for defenceman, and is incredibly skilled at moving the puck out of his own end.
Nevertheless, with all Kaberle brings to the table he still has his downsides. Firstly, he is an entirely offensive defenceman and is not exactly reliable in his own zone. A severe lack of strength on the puck, and a lack of physical play, does not make him a prime candidate for most team’s top unit. In addition, his contract is due to come up at the end of the year, and although his $4.25 million contract is modest for a defenseman of his skill level, the team trading for him will have to hope that they can re-sign him before he gets onto the open market. In addition, he is 32 years-old and his game is only going to get worse as he ages.
The problem the Leafs also face is that the teams that looked as though they needed puck moving defenceman addressed their gaps during free agency.
Changing their Focus
Burke is going to have to adjust his focus, and realize that Kaberle is no longer the prized possession he was when he arrived in Toronto. His stock has slipped and GM’s around the National Hockey League are no longer willing to give up first and second line forwards for his services.
At this point, the Leafs do not have a choice but to trade Kaberle. They are bursting at the backend and someone needs to be moved. Kaberle’s contract comes up at the end of the season and it is very doubtful that Burke would choose to bring him back. Therefore, they may need to take a risk and trade for a youngster they believe has a great deal of potential but has not gotten the opportunity with his current club.
Regardless of what Burke decides, Leafs fans should not hold their breathe through August as it is very likely Kaberle could start the season in Toronto, before getting moved at the deadline.
Tags: