Leafs Trade Rumors: Toronto Makes Dumb Move by Keeping Mikhail Grabovski

Mikhail Grabovski can rest easy because Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke said the center won't be traded before today's 3 p.m. deadline. While it's nice Burke gave his player reassurance, it's not the best move for the franchise.

James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail updated the situation:

"

Brian Burke on TSN: "We believe we'll be able to work something out contractually with" Grabovski. Won't be traded.

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) February 27, 2012"

Extension or no extension, the Leafs would have been better off seeking the best possible deal for Grabovski rather than pulling him off the market hours before the deadline.

It's a seller's market this season since so few teams are willing to trade talent, which means Grabovski's value would have been artificially high. Aside from Rick Nash, he would have been one of the most coveted players available.

He has 40 points through 56 games after scoring a career-high 29 goals last season. So there should have been a pretty wide market for him if Toronto was willing to listen.

Burke has been adamant that he's happy with the team he's built, and won't blow it up just because of a recent slump. Be that as it may, he's doing himself a disservice by being overly committed to the players currently on the roster.

A player like Grabovski would be an attractive trade option for other teams, but isn't irreplaceable by any means. The Maple Leafs have endured an extended playoff drought and it has become clear the roster in place needs a few more pieces before they become a contender.

Trading him could have brought in a couple young players to fill those voids in the near future. That's why placing a player in the off-limits category should only happen in unique situations.

Knowing Grabovski is angling toward a new contract is another legitimate concern. It's impossible to guess exactly how much he'll be looking for, but it's safe to assume he'll be looking for a nice boost from his current $3.1 million.

Is he really worth much more than that? Probably not. The Leafs should have let another team deal with that headache because once the trade deadline passes, they will lose a lot of bargaining power since he can walk onto the open market at season's end without Toronto getting anything.

The upside of keeping him is outweighed by what would have been gained by trading him to the highest bidder. Lesser players are moving for remarkably good packages, so who knows what the Leafs could have received.

Unfortunately for Burke and Leafs fans, they'll never find out because he was pulled off the market before teams even had time to become desperate.