Toronto Maple Leafs: Three Plan B Trade Options On The Blueline

A summer's worth of waiting, anticipating, and hoping for a Tomas Kaberle trade all turned out to be a waste of valuable time to all Leafs fans. Much like all of the anticipation for TSN's Free Agent Frenzy, all fans are left with this bitter taste in their mouths and a feeling that they got duped by all the media speculation and rumors.

The bitter taste is not because we don't like Kaberle. In fact, Kaberle is still probably the best player on the Leafs' roster. But when you look at the grand scheme of things, trading him for forward help would have helped the Leafs to win more games in the near future. 

The Leafs' forward stock in the pantry is fairly empty. There are still so many unknowns with the team, you really can't give them a definitive grade. 

How will sophomores Tyler Bozak, Carl Gunnarsson, Christian Hanson, and Jonas Gustavsson adjust to the NHL being ready for them (scouting, game plans, etc.)?

Mikhail Grabovski, will he ever be able to put it all together?

Is Nikolai Kulemin going to continually improve to justify that new $5.7 million contract?

Those are just a few questions that remain unanswered.

With Kaberle staying put and the Leafs boasting nearly 10 NHL ready defenseman they could use on any given night. With Kaberle and Captain Dion Phaneuf likely staying where they are, that leaves eight defenseman, at least who are up for grabs for forward help with the Leafs.

Kaberle remains a distant option, as he will now have to agree to the trade the Leafs make with any NHL team.

Brian Burke, Dave Nonis and the rest of the Leafs' front office have some time now to negotiate without a time constraint in hopes that they can net a deal before the season starts. If they can't get a deal done, they can still make a deal at any point in the season, so worrying about a no-trade clause ending before their eyes.

So who should be available on the Leafs' back end? Who are they willing to give up? What will be the asking price of these players the Leafs put forward?

Here are the top three tradeable defenseman on the Toronto Maple Leafs...

3. Jeff Finger

Taken 240th overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, Jeff Finger managed to get a huge payday after scoring a measly eight goals in 72 games the previous season. I still don't get why Cliff Fletcher gave him a four-year $14 million contract, and through the first two years, he really has done nothing to justify that contract he supposedly earned.

His Game: A decent defenseman with some offensive upside. Never really had an opportunity to show his full arsenal in Toronto, as he was a seventh defenseman most of the 09-10 season. 

What He Can Fetch: If a team is looking for defensive help and is willing to trade a forward who has a bad contract (such as a Mike Ribeiro), then a Finger deal is possible. Finger remains the least of Toronto's worries as he will more than likely be sent to the AHL if a deal is not completed by the beginning of the 10-11 season.

2. Francois Beauchemin

Taken 75th overall by the Canadien in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Francois Beauchemin has put together a very decent NHL career thus far. At the age of 30, he's already won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks and has that championship experience teams covet. Blessed with a cannon from the point, Beauchemin remains a good second option on the Leafs' power play along with Carl Gunnarsson forming a formidable foursome on the Leafs power play for defense along with Kaberle, Phaneuf, and Gunnarsson.

His Game: A good all-around defenseman who can score and block shots. He's susceptible to gaffs out there and mental lapses, so buyer beware.

What He Can Fetch: More than likely can fetch the Leafs a second or third line winger. 

1. Luke Schenn

Taken fifth overall by the Leafs in 2008, Luke Schenn had an absolutely wonderful rookie year with the Leafs. He was a plus player and, for an 18-year-old, never really looked lost out there. However, with increased scouting and attention paid to Schenn, his game began to show massive holes. As the year went on and Schenn began to adjust to everything, his solid all-around game decided to come back and the Leafs couldn't be any happier. 

His Game: More of a defenseman in the Adam Foote mold. He can block shots, hit, and, at the odd time, will put up some points. If he sticks to his "Human Eraser" nickname given to him by TSN color commentator Pierre McGuire, the return for Schenn should be very good.

What He Can Fetch: More than likely a top six forward or a top 10 pick in next year's draft. After the Phil Kessel trade and losing two first round picks, the picks they receive for Schenn would help them out.

So there you have it, I believe that Schenn is now Toronto's most valuable trade asset. Teams would be lining up at the Rogers Center to get their hands on Schenn. What he can fetch in terms of players I won't speculate on, but if or when Schenn is dealt, I hope to heck a top line talent is sent back in exchange.