Why Tomas Kaberle Shouldn't Get Traded On Draft Weekend

Unless Brian Burke gets his socks knocked off by a trade offer on day two of the draft, Tomas Kaberle will still be wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey come July 1.

This is completely opposite of what I was thinking 24 hours ago. I actually said to a friend that if Kaberle was still a Leaf by the end of the day, I'd be pissed. Then it hit me. Brian Burke wants a scoring forward, not a draft pick, for Kaberle. Kaberle could net us something today, but he could probably fetch more by waiting until July 1. There are other playmaking defensemen that are currently set to become UFA's on Canada Day.

Paul Martin, Sergei Gonchar, and possibly Dan Hamhuis all might be available. Lou Lamoriello should be desperately trying to resign Martin at all costs. Just letting an Olympian, if Martin hadn't been injured, go is the last thing the Devils need. With Pittsburgh acquiring Hamhuis from Philly last night, it seems Gonchar's time with the Penguins is over. I wouldn't be surprised to see his rights get traded today for a draft pick or two.

Once these players are off the market, the teams that don't sign those players but need a playmaking defensemen will be prime trading partners for the Leafs. Even if Martin remains in New Jersey now, I believe Lamoriello will make a stab at Kaberle. Although, I wouldn't make the deal unless we get a player like Travis Zajac in return.

With Anaheim lucking out and being able to draft Cam Fowler, who I'm pretty sure will make the Ducks this year, their need for Kaberle is diminished somewhat but not gone. As I said in a comment from my previous article, the Ducks could send us Ryan and their second rounder for Kaberle and Nikolai Kulemin.

Florida looks like a team that could use Kaberle, but they don't have that many players the Leafs might want. Columbus looks to be in the same boat. Buffalo has been said to have interest and Tim Connolly and Jason Pominville could be on the block. I'm not sure we'd want to trade Kaberle inside the Northeast Division though.

I don't know which team Kaberle will go to, if he's even traded, but if he is, Burke will wait until Kaberle can net us the best possible player, and that's what any good GM should do.