Tomas Kaberle: Trade or Re-Sign Long Term?

Written By: Mark "The Hard Hitter" Ritter

In light of the recent Ilya Kovalchuk trade and other NHL superstars that have been traded away for next to nothing, it would appear as if Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke will need to exercise some tough love with regard to all-star calibre defenseman Tomas Kaberle.

It’s no secret that Brian Burke loves not only what Kaberle brings to the Leafs, he also loves his cap-friendly $4.25 million contract (2010-11). Kaberle’s solid play on all areas of the game combined with his affordable contract makes him a very attractive target for teams seeking to bolster their defense, both now and in the future.

Slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2010-11 season, Kaberle (who has a no-trade clause) has, through no fault of his own, put the Leafs in a precarious position.

Brian Burke has stated ad nauseum that he will not ask Kaberle to waive his no-trade clause. That said, he has never said he will not trade Kaberle and, in fact, has been rumored to have looked to deal Kaberle last summer.

Rumors aside, when it comes to Kaberle’s future with the Leafs, Burke has a tough decision ahead of him.

One option is to approach Kaberle now and suggest to him that he waive his no-trade clause and, subsequently, ask Kaberle for a list of preferred destinations (I know, Burke says he won’t do it).

Burke’s second option is to wait for the summer months to arrive, at which point, Kaberle’s no-trade clause will be null and void, and thus will allow Burke to trade Kaberle to the highest bidder.

The third option, the one nobody seems to be talking about, is for Burke to try to get Kaberle to sign a long-term contract extension—one that undoubtedly would not include a no-trade clause.

There are two schools of thought here. First, If the Leafs want to land themselves a legitimate top six forward (preferably a centre), the player that trading partners will want in return is Kaberle.

With that in mind, in an effort to avoid being shortchanged like the Atlanta Thrashers were in the Kovalchuk deal, it would seem advantageous for Burke to trade Kaberle sooner rather than later.

The longer Burke waits the more Kaberle’s value drops. NHL teams want players that are under contract, not rentals, especially at the cost the Leafs will be asking in return for Kaberle’s services.

The second train of thought is for the Leafs to get Kaberle under contract long-term, which will give Burke the flexibility to A) keep Kaberle in Toronto long-term or B) increase Kaberle’s trade value by having him under a long-term contract.

If Burke were to wait until the 2011 trade deadline he would risk Kaberle’s refusal to waive his no trade clause or, alternatively, risk getting a diminished return on Kaberle.

Either way, there are only two ways Burke can approach the Kaberle situation—sign him long term or trade him ASAP.

If Kaberle is as gung-ho as he says he is about staying in Toronto than he should have no problem signing a long-term deal (no-trade clause aside). If however, Kaberle refuses, Burke can presume that Kaberle will want to test the free agent waters, which may result in Burke getting nothing in return for his most valued asset, which, in turn, could set the Leafs back in a big way.

Toronto’s defense is deep in talent. Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin, newly acquired Dion Phaneuf and Phaneuf protege Luke Schenn, are a top-notch foursome by NHL standards. If you keep Kaberle in the fold, the Leafs arguably have one of the NHL’s top ten defense’s.

That said, with nearly $20 million committed to Toronto’s top five defensemen—Kaberle ($4.25 million), komisarek ($4.625 million), Beauchemin ($3.6 million), Phaneuf ($6.5 million), and Schenn ($875,000), one has to think Burke is looking to unload one of his prized defensemen, with Kaberle being at the top of his list.

If Burke is unable to sign Kaberle long-term a trade is all but a certainty and, it says here it wouldn’t be a bad move, especially when you consider the financial burden Toronto’s defense carries with it.

Without Kaberle the Leafs will likely employ defenseman Carl Gunnarsson—a legitimate NHL prospect with huge upside and one of either Jeff Finger—who admittedly has been inconsistent with the Leafs and may face a demotion to the AHL next season, or one of several free agents that will be on the market this summer.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Anton Volchenkov is set to be a free agent this summer and would fit in nicely with the Leafs top six defensemen (although I think he will get a significant raise from his $3.2 million salary in 2009/10)—so he’s not likely to be an option. Other free agent options may include, defensemen Dan Hamhuis, Jordan Leopold, Andrew Ferrence and Jay McKee—all of whom are likely to come at a small cost.

At the end of the day, it’s Burke decision as to how he wants to play the Kaberle situation out. He would be wise to learn where other GM’s have failed; in this case failure would be a disaster.

Until next time,

Peace!