Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Rumors: Why Maple Leafs Shouldn't Deal for Rick Nash

After Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke reportedly met with Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson Sunday morning, the Rick Nash rumor mill has officially hit home in Toronto.

But the Maple Leafs don't appear to have the pieces to acquire Nash, and one piece that could land them the highly-coveted captain should not be traded.

The Maple Leafs are reportedly among several teams on Nash's wish list, which includes Boston, Los Angeles, the New York Rangers, San Jose and Vancouver.

According to Sportsnet, the players who could be included in a deal for Nash include Top-10 picks Nazem Kadri and Luke Schenn, Nikolai Kulemin and possibly James Reimer.

Obviously, it's not a matter of whether the Maple Leafs would be overpaying for Nash. They would be. Any team that lands Nash is going to overpay.

But teams like the Rangers have better young pieces to offer, unless the Maple Leafs throw in 21-year-old defenseman Jake Gardiner.

Gardiner is too valuable to trade for the Maple Leafs. He's shown great strides this season and he has the potential to be a game-changer for them down the line.

I wouldn't be surprised if Howson asks for Gardiner to cinch the deal, but that would be the wrong move for the Maple Leafs.

Obviously Burke is going to at least try for Nash. Who wouldn't?

But the reality is, the Maple Leafs need more help on defense than offense. A big part of their struggles this season has been because of their goalies and defensive lapses. They've allowed 3.0 goals per game, 28th in the NHL. Why would you trade a budding defenseman after all the team has been through this season?

Let me put it this way: If the Maple Leafs don't land Nash, fans should actually be happy because it means the team made the right move.