Maple Leafs set to clear house at NHL Trade Deadline

By Jordan Caschera

 As the Feb. 29 NHL Trade Deadline looms, the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to clear house to keep their elusive five year plan on track.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in no way a playoff contending team and with the trade deadline just a few days away, the organization is a definite seller. The team would have to go on a nearly impossible winning streak to make the playoffs, which means the Leafs can start a fire-sale with their players at the deadline. Anyone and everyone must go – excluding the prospects of course.

For any chance at getting the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft this summer the Leafs definitely need to clear house. With so many Maple Leafs players on the tradable list, six stick out as contenders.

 

James Reimer

The Leafs goaltender, James Reimer can draw some attention from teams in need of a goalie to fill the starting position or as back-up. The Montreal Canadiens fill this roll quite nicely while their number one goalie Carry Price is still out with a lower-body injury. It’s difficult to say what they might receive in return for Reimer, but a first round pick is reasonable price tag.

 

Roman Polak

A tough, hard-nosed and skilled player who is in his last year of his contract with the Leafs. Roman Polak is an almost definite trade. His protect-the-front-of-the-net defender style of play makes him irresistible to any playoff contending team. Roman’s price tag ranges from a third line prospect to a second round draft pick.

 

Leo Komarov

Leo Komarov is having a career year with 17 goals and 35 points in 56 games. He can play on any team’s top three lines and serves as a prime penalty killer. “Uncle” Leo is a perfect depth player who teams hate to play against but would love to have him and is worth a second round draft pick to any playoff contending team.

 

 

Michael Grabner

Michael Grabner isn’t the all-star player who is going to bring a team a Stanley Cup alone, but put him with the right line-mates and he can help a playoff contending team with third or fourth line scoring for a relatively cheap price of a third to fifth round draft pick.

 

 

Joffrey Lupul

Joffrey Lupul is a seriously underestimated player which makes him a prime candidate for contending teams who need a rental player for cheap. Though he is known as an injury-prone player, he’s had five-20 goal seasons. Lupul should be a player who is thrown in to sweeten a trade offer.

 

P.A. Parenteau

This year with the Maple Leafs Pierre-Alexandre already 11 goals and 21 points in 42 games. Having a cheap contract and decently producing points, he has made his short tenure with the Maple Leafs a win so far. Though the Leafs would benefit from keeping the 32 year old, if a deal is available it will be made.

 

The Blue and White are still very much in the process of rebuilding and will be bad before they will be good. Winning the NHL Draft Lottery and ultimately drafting Auston Matthews first overall is hopefully part of the future for the Maple Leafs. If general manager Lou Lamorellio sees a deal that could benefit the team in the future, expect him to pull the trigger Feb. 29.