Maple Leafs May be Forced to Trade a Forward

The Toronto Maple Leafs bolstered their forward core with the acquisition of Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues.

With these two players now in their four lines, and Matthew Knies possibly on the way from the NCAA for the playoffs, the team now has a logjam at the position.

Leafs Likely to Make Forward Trade

With these new additions, Alexander Kerfoot and his $3.5-million cap-hit has been put in at the fourth-line right-wing position. It's safe to say for a team so close against the cap, some flexibility is worth a lot more than Kerfoot's contributions.


He could have some value for another playoff team, as he can play in all three forward positions as well as being a serviceable penalty killer. A western conference team would be preferred since the Leafs don't want to hurt their odds of making the cup finals.

Kerfoot doesn't really have a spot in Toronto, but this doesn't mean he's a bad player. It is more of a testament to Toronto's depth than Kerfoot's skill.

Maybe Kyle Dubas could use assets acquired in a Kerfoot trade in a subsequent deal for a blueliner, or just have some extra picks or prospects in the system.

Either way, the Maple Leafs come out as winners.

Source: Maple Leafs Insider