To Trade or not to trade Tomas Kaberle
NHLHS writers Anthony Curatolo and Jose Simoes discuss the never ending topic out of Toronto: Tomas Kaberle.
For three years, Tomas Kaberle has been linked to trade rumors that would send the long time Maple Leafs star elsewhere in order to acquire bigger needs for the team.
This off-season has turned into the Ilya Kovalchuk heat wave however, Kaberle’s name has been discussed just as much – it just does not hit the headlines here in the states as much as Kovalchuk does. The Los Angeles Kings and the New Jersey Devils – two teams on American turf were the front runners in the Kovalchuk sweepstakes which placed a damper on all the Kaberle news for those of us south of the border.
The issue – if Brian Burke does not receive a package worthy for him to pull the trigger by the end of this weekend, all bets are likely off that a trade will indeed go down. As of Monday, Kaberle and his No Trade Clause will kick in thus ending all speculation of being able to move the player without him agreeing to go to the team that has met Burkes demands.
If the weekend comes and goes without a reasonable offer for Kaberle, look for GM Burke to begin serious negotiations on a new 4-5 year contract. At 32, Kaberle still has more then a few serviceable years left and look for a potential “home town” discount given to the only franchise he has known.
With no one of Kaberle’s skill set in the organization poised to take his spot, trading him for a top six forward only creates another hole to be filled at a higher cost. Replacing someone of Kaberle’s caliber will require spending more money then re-signing him. With the league set to potentially face another work stoppage once the current CBA expires, is it a smart move to significantly increase your payroll by $2 million?
With the pre-deadline acquisition of Dion Phaneuf, Kaberle finally has a booming shot on the backend to set-up on power plays that he’s been missing since Bryan McCabe was sent out of town for Mike Van Ryn. Give these two a full season of playing together and maybe the Leafs power play can move out of the basement. A good quarterback on the power play is something that doesn’t come cheap.
By keeping Kaberle in the mix it also creates quite the balance for the three defense pairings heading into the 2010-11 season. With Mike Komisarek set to return from injury as well as Francois Beauchemin, the aforementioned Phanuef in the mix along with Luke Schenn, the Leafs have a season to look forward to.
As much as it would create joy to see a good young talent wearing a Blue & White jersey next season, at what cost does it come? Players of Kaberle’s ilk don’t come around that often, and for an organization that hasn’t had the greatest track record of drafting and developing talent, he’s a rarity.
Personally, I (Jose) feel for Kaberle, and would love to see him win a Stanley Cup a la my favorite defensman Ray Bourque. There truly is, at this point in time, no current Leaf who deserves it more, but it would also be a treat to witness Kaberle do something that has not been done in our lifetimes - no Leafs Fan Favorite have yet to play their entire career in Toronto.
Whatever happens in the coming days regarding Tomas Kaberle’s future, we wish him nothing but the best. A most unselfish player deserves nothing less.
So Leafs fans, does it make sense for Brian Burke to exhaust every avenue to find the perfect, most thrilling deal for the services of Kaberle, or should the Leafs hold on to the long time power play quaterback? Would you enjoy witnessing Kaberle end his career right where it started? Or are you more focused on the potential return and how it could improve a major need for 2010-11 and onward?
Jose Simoes
NHLHS Writer
jsimoes@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @RTRHockey
Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC
‘Fan favorite?’ I admire Kaberle and wish him well, but many Leaf fans find him exasperating precisely because his abilities are so unevenly developed. He can skate the puck out of his own end brilliantly but couldn’t move the water boy from in front of the net. He refuses to shoot, which greatly reduces his effectiveness as a power play quarterback since penalty killers no longer even pretend to buy his ‘fakes.’ Surely subtracting such an equivocal mix of benefits from Leafs’ current defense corps hurts the team less than adding a top-line forward would help. Most Leaf fans are of this opinion, I think, and the impending reimposition of the no-trade strait-jacket and looming free agency simply underline the wisdom of the judgment.
Ding-ding-ding!! We have a winner! Brilliantly put, Mattmark. I couldn’t have said it better, myself.
Thank you.
Well while trading Kabby may help strengthen the top forward lines you have to remember that most good offensive plays start in your own end with a good puck moving defenceman . Kaberle has the ability to start these plays with his puck moving ability and his passing skills . So help up front will not be all that great without a defenceman like Kaberle to kick start the offence . My take on this is that with Kaberle the Leafs are better and Burke should be looking for short term help up front to allow the prospects to develope .
Before a defenceman can exercise his ability to move the puck he must first subtract it from an opposing forward, and Kabby’s not particularly good at that wee detail.