With the trade deadline officially two weeks away, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a team in transition, and in classic Brian Burke fashion, he got a jump on his fellow GM’s and made a deal, which may or may not have sparked a few other deals as the trade talk picked up last week. Burke dealt veteran defenseman Francois Beauchemin back to Anaheim, the team he won a cup with, in exchange for winger Joffrey Lupul, top prospect Jake Gardiner and a conditional draft pick in 2013.
The deal made sense for both clubs, but set the tone for negotiations with the Leafs this season, as the main piece Burke was after was Jake Gardiner, a 20 year old offensive defensive prospect playing in the NCAA. Gardiner was the Ducks second ranked prospect behind Cam Fowler and has been described as an elite level skater with offensive touch. Adding Gardiner to a stable of young defensemen that includes Phaneuf, Schenn, Gunnarsson, Aulie and Jesse Blacker, it seems the writing is now on the wall, and the Leafs have begun preparations for life without Tomas Kaberle.
Kaberle, at 32, is the senior statesman for the Leafs, having been with the club since the 1999 season, and is the only current member to have played in a playoff game for the Leafs. He is in the last year of his deal, a cap friendly 4.25 million, and includes a no-trade clause, something that Burke has publicly stated he will not ask Kaberle to waive. This is where the situation will now come to a head. Burke, while not directly asking Kaberle to waive, could have discussions with his agent or could grant permission to other teams to talk Kaberle. As for Kaberle, he now knows an extension is not coming and he will be done at the end of the season, so perhaps this could provide the impetus for him to want to find a new home and taste some post-season play.
Kaberle likely represents the biggest chip Burke has to play, but he will have some other options as well. JS Giguere has publicly stated he’d be willing to waive his no movement clause to try and win another cup with another club, but has expressed interest in returning to Toronto in the off-season. There could be a limited market for Giguere, as players like Kiprusoff and Vokoun seem to have come off the market. Giguere provides a veteran pedigree and a go to guy in goal, but his large salary cap hit will make a move difficult to pull off.
Kris Versteeg has been another name that has come up in trade talks recently, as the 24 year old was brought in to be a top 6 forward but finds himself in a third line checking role with Colby Armstrong and Darryl Boyce. Versteeg is a solid utility player with great hands, but seems to play well as a complimentary player or penalty killer, and many playoff teams have expressed interest. However, it doesn’t make a lot of sense from Burke’s point of view to deal Versteeg unless he can improve offensively. He gave up a rookie winger and two prospects to acquire him, and at 24, Versteeg still has room to grow.
The only situation that would make sense for Burke is to include Versteeg in a package for a player like Brad Richards or Zach Parise. If either of those two players end up moving due to contractual issues, Versteeg becomes an attractive piece in a package that would also likely include picks and prospects, but these possibilities are entirely contingent on the management in New Jersey and Dallas, and whether they can afford the big money that both players are expected to command. Another option could be for a team like Vancouver or LA to give up a top young prospect like Brayden Schenn or Cody Hodgson. Versteeg could be a nice depth addition for contending teams who have prospects but no room for them.
Mikhail Grabovski has come up, as fans believe that Burke should ‘sell high’ on the young forward, assuming this is as good as it is going to get, but I feel that the chemistry that has developed between Grabovski and fellow Russian Nikolai Kulemin makes Grabovski more valuable to the Leafs than he is to other teams. However, the third player on that line, Clarke MacArthur, has been a revelation this season and leads the Leafs in points. He’d be due for a raise next year and his cheap salary means a lot of contending teams looking to add offensive punch could easily fit him in to their lineup. The recent addition of Joffrey Lupul has made him even more expendable.
Overall, the Leafs are a work in progress. With the emergence of Reimer and the steady play of Rynnas, Scrivens and Giguere, the goaltending situation, for now and in the future, is certainly more stable. It is something that Burke won’t need to address at the moment. Defensively, the Leafs have a wealth of prospects and young talent on the blue line and Burke is working to have them come together, completing the transition from the old guard as Kaberle departs either at the deadline or in the off-season. Last, and certainly not least, will be the forwards, where Burke has many great second and third line options, but still needs to fill out his top line and augment the scoring, as the Leafs have been shut out a league-high 9 times this season.
The next two weeks will be a virtual roller coaster for Leaf Nation, as speculation will run rampant, names will be thrown around with reckless abandon and the media will stir up the inevitable frenzy that one of the more exciting times of the season produces. Let’s hope Burke rolls up his sleeves and gets down to business.
Popularity: 2%
Born and raised in Northern Ontario but currently living in Toronto, Tyler wouldn't have it any other way. Home to his two favourite sports teams, Tyler revels in the day to day sports experience that is Toronto. 
I wonder if trading Versteeg was what you had in mind when you wrote this.