With the trade deadline less than four weeks away, Brian Burke will be looking for deals to improve the Toronto Maple Leafs' top-six forward group.
The current top line of Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur and Nikolai Kulemin have been a pleasant surprise. Still, it is unrealistic to expect this line to produce on a nightly basis.
The line of Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak and Joey Crabb has been decent at times, but I think we can all agree that Kessel needs more skilled help to take his play to the next level.
I decided to go through the rosters of teams who I think will be active during the days leading up to the trade deadline. I'm certain that Burke has been kicking tires with teams such as the Sharks, Panthers, Blue Jackets and Thrashers—teams who will be looking to upgrade their rosters for a late playoff push or simply to build for the future.
It is unrealistic to expect Burke to pull off a trade for a top NHL forward without a first round pick or other top-end assets (i.e., blue chip prospects, expendable skilled talent). So I think Burke should target young, underachieving players who could benefit from increased ice time. ...
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Article written by Drew West
Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Trade Scenarios To Improve Struggling Offense
January 31st, 2011 by Drew West Leave a reply »
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