The trade deadline is less than two months away and the 4 Nations Face-Off is even closer. This means teams will soon be ready to make deals. Therefore, the Toronto Maple Leafs should consider what assets they have in their lineup and who could be on their way out. Here are three players that general manager Brad Treliving might trade away from the Maple Leafs before the deadline.
Three Players the Leafs Could Look to Trade Away
David Kampf
Kampf’s role with the Maple Leafs is very evident. His biggest strength is his ability to kill penalties and play a shutdown role. Under former head coach Sheldon Keefe, Kampf was utilized to the max. It would get to the point where Keefe would send him out to win the faceoff at the start of overtime and go right to the bench on the first chance he got. However, times have changed and Toronto has a new boss this season, Craig Berube.
Kampf has averaged the lowest ice time this season since joining the Maple Leafs in 2021. Furthermore, it’s the second-lowest average since his first season in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks. The 29-year-old isn’t offensively gifted and the stats prove it. In over 500 NHL games, the centre has scored less than 50 goals in his career. Furthermore, he’s only had one season where he scored more than 10 goals. Therefore, with Kampf’s abilities not being put to use, he’s taking up space in the lineup from a productive forward.
In addition, Kampf is very expensive considering his role with the team. In the offseason before the 2023-24 campaign, the Czech signed a four-year contract at $2.4M per year. Among fourth-line centres, he is the fourth highest-paid player per season in that role, according to PuckPedia. He has two more years remaining on his contract after this season. Therefore, the team could free up cap space and find a player with better value somewhere on the market to play Kampf’s role if they were to trade him.
Nicholas Robertson
Robertson had a very loud summer before the start of this season. It started with a trade request out of Toronto, going into free agency. However, while Treliving looked for suiters, there wasn’t much of a market for Robertson, who was a restricted free agent at the time. Despite the trade request, there was plenty of opportunity with the Leafs to earn a spot in the Leafs lineup. Eventually, the 23-year-old signed a one-year extension with Toronto.
Around came preseason and Robertson was lights out. In six games, the winger scored five goals and two assists for seven points. Fans and management were excited about what Robertson was flourishing in. However, his red-hot form did not transfer to the regular season. In the first 23 games of the season, Robertson only scored two goals and recorded zero assists.
Fortunately for him, his luck has changed since then and he now has five goals and nine points in his last 12 games. Recently, there have been rumours about the Seattle Kraken and the Dallas Stars being interested in Robertson. It might not be such a terrible idea for Treliving to trade the forward considering his inconsistency and not finding a home in the lineup. There is an opportunity for him to unite with his older brother Jason, who has been a star in Dallas.
Ryan Reaves
Similarly to Kampf, Reaves hasn’t showcased or utilized his strengths this season. The right winger has been an enforcer for the entirety of his 15-season career. The 37-year-old has 146 career fights according to HockeyFights. In addition, he’s racked up 1,095 penalty minutes, fifth-most among active skaters. Despite these numbers proving Reaves is a coveted grinder in this league. However, he has not showcased that for the Maple Leafs this season.
Reaves has been in and out of the lineup throughout the season. While scoring isn’t what he’s paid to do, Reaves recorded two assists this year. However, he is paid to fight and provide energy to the team and crowd when things get slow and dull. This season, Reaves has been a shadow of himself with no fights to his name. The enforcer has never gone an entire season without engaging in at least one fight. That streak dates back all the way to his days in the WHL with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
There may not be any market for Reaves, or any sense in putting him up for a trade. But, Berube won’t feel like he needs to include him in the lineup if he continues this.
Main Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
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