Maple Leafs Trade Deadline 2015: TLN’s Big Salacious Trade Board

KORBINIAN HOLZER – 70%

• TSN believes he has as high as an 85% chance of being moved before the deadline
• He carries a miniscule $878k cap hit and his contract expires at the end of the season
• He could provide blueline depth for someone, and the Leafs are ready to move on from him
• Holzer would classify as an “Option C” for most teams

OLLI JOKINEN – 55%

• 36 years old, a pending unrestricted free agent, and a player who has been useful in the past
• Could provide solid, veteran depth down the middle for someone
• He hasn’t played well this season, so there’s a good chance nobody would want him.  With a $2.5M cap hit, the Leafs would likely need to retain as much of his salary as they can to move him.

TYLER BOZAK – 40%

• Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie have been open about the Leafs intent to move him eventually, but they also aren’t convinced a deal gets done before the deadline
• The New York Rangers are rumored to be one team with interest in Bozak

JOFFREY LUPUL – 40%

• Similar to Bozak, it seems the Leafs want to move him but up-and-down play combined with a sizable cap hit and decent term remaining, Lupul is likely a secondary option for any team at this year’s deadline
• Washington, Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Boston are all teams rumored to be interested in his services

ROMAN POLAK – 35%

• There has been some interest surrounding him, but with a cheap cap hit and another year left on his deal, this might be a trade the Leafs look to make at next year’s deadline rather than this one.  The Leafs can’t trade everybody at once.

JONATHAN BERNIER – 25%

• He’s the team’s #1 goalie and has played well since joining the Leafs in June of 2013
• There has been some speculation that the Leafs would be willing to part with Bernier, including a report last night from Elliot Friedman and Damien Cox.  The San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars have been listed as two potential landing spots.
• Bernier turns 27 in August.  Not old, but not young either.  Considering the team is starting a rebuild and Bernier is one of the team’s most attractive assets, trading him could make sense.

JAMES REIMER – 20%

• Jonathan Bernier has long solidified himself as the team’s #1 and Reimer’s inconsistent play coupled with a general lack of playing time seems to have hampered his attractiveness among other teams.  There have been no real rumors surrounding Reimer leading up to the deadline, but it does seem he’s more likely to be dealt than Bernier.  This is a move more likely to happen beyond this season.

DION PHANEUF – 20%

• It sounds like the Leafs would like to move on from Phaneuf in due time, but his lofty contract makes a midseason deal unlikely.
• Detroit is one team rumored to be interested in Phaneuf

NAZEM KADRI – 15%

• He’s one of the Leafs younger players and he’s their best center.  Rumors have surrounded Kadri in year’s previous, but it seems a lot more likely the team will look to extend his contract than trade him.

PHIL KESSEL – 15%

• Similar to Phaneuf, it seems like the rebuilding Leafs want to get younger assets in return for one of their core pieces.  There should absolutely be a market for Kessel, but his eight-year, $64 million deal makes him a tough piece to move midseason when teams are more restricted by the salary cap.
• The Florida Panthers are among those with some interest in Kessel

JAKE GARDINER – 15%

• Similar to Kadri, Gardiner is one of the Leafs younger and more talented players.
• Similar to Kadri, rumors have surrounded him in previous years.
• Similar to Kadri, this is one of the few pieces a rebuilding team like the Leafs would look to hold on to rather than trade.  Anything is possible, but a Gardiner deal at the deadline seems unlikely.

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