Hockey Trade Rumors

Barring more injuries, the Leafs are probably done trading until the deadline. Nonis already added Peter Holland from Anaheim earlier this season. And Nazem Kadri? Despite the rumours, he’s no more available than he was at the start of the season. If some team comes calling and offering a centre in his early twenties, the Leafs will listen.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/the_spin/2014/01/leafs_leave_detroit_with_a_new_defenceman_and_other_changes.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

In wake of Carlyle rant this morning 2 #NHL clubs have confirmed for me #Leafs have made Kadri available in any trade discussion.

— Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) December 30, 2013

Leo Komarov wants back in the NHL, and if it were up to him he’d suit up with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Now plying his trade in the KHL with Dynamo Moscow, the Finnish pest wants to return to the team he played for during the lockout-shortened season.

As expected, the Maple Leafs captain has inked a new seven-year deal believed to be in the $49 million range.

“Dion is our team leader and has been a pillar in our building process,” general manager Dave Nonis said in a statement. “He has proven to be a very durable and reliable defenceman in all facets of the game.

Marian Gaborik, who sustained a broken collarbone on Dec. 21 in his first match after having been sidelined for 17 games with a sprained knee, is determined to compete for Slovakia in Sochi if health permits, even if the Blue Jackets aren’t exactly thrilled by the prospect.

Another injury would destroy the trade deadline market for the former Ranger, who, as an impending free agent, would be considered one of the prime available rentals up front with the Islanders’ Thomas Vanek, Buffalo’s Matt Moulson, Calgary’s Mike Cammalleri and perhaps the Rangers’ captain Callahan and the Devils’ Jaromir Jagr.

In light of the apparent season-ending injury to Pascal Dupuis, you would have to believe the Penguins will be knee-deep again in that market.

Boy oh boy, would the Maple Leafs love to find a taker for Nazem Kadri.

http://nypost.com/2013/12/28/crunch-time-to-make-usa-roster/

Aside from a couple of details, Phaneuf and the Leafs are very close on a 7 year, $7 mil per contract extension. Term was key. #tsn

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) December 28, 2013

A great skater who put up 30 points in his rookie season, 23-year-old defenseman Jake Gardiner is a tantalizing talent. And according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Toronto Maple Leafs are likely to trade him.

“I think there’s a better chance of him getting traded, just because of the continued interest,” Dreger said this morning on TSN 1050 radio (audio). “At some point, I think that Toronto’s needs are going to equal what teams are going to be willing to pay.

Following back-to-back bad games resulting in a benching against the Panthers, Jake Gardiner’s availability has once again become topical. Nonis insists he’s not shopping Gardiner, but rival management sources say Gardiner’s name has been brought up by Toronto in trade discussions in Nonis’s search for a top-six forward.

Leafs GM Dave Nonis addressed the future of his struggling club on Wednesday, making it clear he wasn’t going to make a change just for the sake of making a change.

“It’s not happening,” Nonis told the Toronto Sun about firing head coach Randy Carlyle, or shaking things up via trade. “We’re not making a move [player or coach] for the sake of making a move. We’re not trading a young player away that will erode our depth or take youth out of our lineup. We don’t do that.”

The Toronto Maple Leafs remain in constant communication with Dion Phaneuf’s agent, as the two sides continue to work towards a long-term contract extension.

Phaneuf, 28, is in the final-year of a six-year, $39 million contract and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.