Who We Need To Trade And Why

By Alex Hobson

There has been tons of speculation over the past two months about who the Leafs need to trade in order for this rebuild to function well. From trade rumours, to possible returns, to people arguing about who's worth what and what they could return, it's all been covered by analysts and different writers. There are four players I can think of off of the top of my head that I think need to be shipped out of the blue and white to kick off the new era of the Toronto Maple Leafs. So who needs to go?

1. Phil Kessel

It all began on September 18th, 2009, when Kessel was acquired from the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2010 first round pick (Tyler Seguin), a 2010 second round pick (Jared Knight), and a 2011 first round pick (Dougie Hamilton). This trade was a sign that newly-appointed general manager Brian Burke wanted to win. Now, everyone knows Kessel is an elite scorer. he scored consistently for the Leafs throughout the last four seasons. He doesn't have a true number one centre to play with, but he still manages to put up close to a point per game rate every season. That being said, Kessel is not the type of player you want to build around. He can definitely put up points, but he's not good defensively and never throws his body. All in all, he's a one dimensional player, and not someone you use during a rebuild. On the bright side, Kessel still has tons of value, and he has a really high price for any team that takes him. If Kessel can generate a good return if he's traded within the next week, then I believe it'll work well for both sides.

Possible return for Kessel: First round pick, prospect, and roster player.

2. Dion Phaneuf

Everyone misses the Dion Phaneuf from 2010. The hard-hitting, sharpshooting, defenseman that every team hated to play against. From the moment Phaneuf arrived in Toronto in 2010, he was pinned with a large amount of pressure. He was given constant top two minutes, compared to the top four minutes he was recieving in Calgary, and he was named team captain shortly after the season ended. Phaneuf was expected to play like a top two defenseman, but unfortanately the pressure got to him, and he isn't performing as expected as of late. He was almost traded to Detroit at the trade deadline for Brendan Smith, Teemu Pulkkinen, and Stephen Weiss, but the Leafs backed out of the trade. Phaneuf seems to just need a fresh start, and he might get that this summer. But there's always the possibility that he's given another chance to prove himself under head coach Mike Babcock, as Babcock is a big fan of Phaneuf and was one of the main reasons he was almost dealt to the Wings. If he stays, expect him to be stripped of his captaincy and be given less minutes, to hopefully help him thrive as a player.

Possible return for Phaneuf: Prospect, roster player, cap dump.

3. Joffrey Lupul

Here's the deal with Lupul. He's a great player when he's playing, but when he's injured, he's a liability to the team due to his salary. And unfortunately for Lupes, he's injured a lot. He's prone to play as little as 30 games per season for the Leafs, and if that's going to be the case every year, then there's no point in keeping him if all he's going to do is eat up cap space. Lupul, to Leafs fans, is either a fan favourite or someone everyone wants shipped out. If he had a couple million less on his annual pay, he might be someone to keep during this rebuild, but $5.25 million per year is nothing to be cracking jokes about. There is a large possibility that the Leafs will be looking to trade him, but not many teams will be looking to acquire him due to his salary and durability, so there's a 50/50 chance as to whether he gets moved or not.

Possible return for Lupul: Second round pick or prospect, roster player

4. Tyler Bozak

Bozak made his way onto the Leafs in 2009 as an unsigned free agent. Unfortunately for Bozie, he's been given way too much to handle during his time with the Leafs, most of this pressure being first line minutes, playing alongside of Phil Kessel due to their close friendship and chemistry, and being given first powerplay and penalty kill unit minutes. Bozak has put up a decent amount of points since his arrival, with his career year being 2013-14 when recorded 49 points in 58 games, but 49 points was his highest total, and that doesn't cut it for a number one centre. He's very good at faceoffs and he's good defensively, which would look good on a resume for teams that need a second or third line centre. There are teams out there that would like a guy like Bozak for their team, and would be willing to pay a decent price for his services.

Possible return for Bozak: Second round pick and a prospect

What do you think, Leafs fans? Would you like to see these guys shipped out for the right price? Weigh in below.