Tomas Kaberle, Welcome to Montreal

Let’s face it—Montreal is in desperate need of a strong stand-up defensemen who can quarterback their dismal power play. 

The man they need is the enemy—the man in blue and white, Tomas Kaberle.

Kaberle was drafted in the eighth round of the 1996 NHL Draft (204th overall).  Kaberle only saw minimal playing time over a half season in the 1998-99 season. 

Since the 1999-2000 season, Kaberle has been a staple on the Maple Leafs' blue line and one of their most potent defensive weapons. 

Not only is Kaberle a defensive force, he is also an amazing setup man who owns a deadly accurate wrist shot, which enabled him to win the 2008 NHL All-Star Game's shot-accuracy competition.

Kaberle has a fair amount of history with the Montreal Canadiens, having been part of the Toronto-Montreal rivalry for the past decade and scoring his first NHL hat trick against the Habs in 2006.

What would the Toronto Maple Leafs need in return for this veteran blue liner?  Simple, the rebuilding Maple Leafs will need draft picks and personality. 

The logical compensation for Kaberle would be a first- and a second-round pick, plus budding young defensemen P.K. Subban .

The draft picks are logical, but here is why Subban makes sense for the Maple Leafs. 

Subban is from the GTA, hailing from Rexdale, Ontario.  He has shown himself to be an offensive defensemen and a big voice in the dressing room and on the ice.   Subban would bring an attitude and presence that the Maple Leafs desperately need.

The only question is, does Brian Burke have the gumption to make such a bold move trading away a big part of the Maple Leafs' past to build for the future?