Insider identifies the most likely Leaf to move before the deadline
With the acquisition of Noel Acciari and Ryan O'Reilly last week, the Leafs added two versatile forwards that are defensively responsible, can kill penalties and can play both wing and center. These additions may have reduced the need for a player like Alexander Kerfoot, whom the Leafs have leaned on heavily over the past few seasons.
Over the past month or so however, we have seen Kerfoot spending more and more time in the bottom six, now finding himself on the fourth line. While he is a "plug and play" forward, his versatility is no longer his advantage after the additions of O'Reilly and Acciari and with a cap hit of $3.5M, which is more than O'Reilly and Acciari COMBINE for, the greatest benefit that the Leafs may get from Kerfoot now will likely come from the cap space they'll open by moving him before the deadline.
On the "DFO Rundown" today, NHL Insider Frank Seravalli mentioned the Leafs want to upgrade the blueline still and in order to do so with Matt Murray needing to be activated from IR, salary would likely have to be moved out. He believes Kerfoot has the most value or more value than the likes of Pierre Engvall and given how little he has played recently, it could mean the writing is on the wall for him come March 3rd.
Moving Kerfoot could help the Leafs replenish one or more of the picks they sent to St. Louis in the O'Reilly/Acciari deal, or perhaps he could even be used as a roster piece that could be offered up to lower the ask on a rental defenseman. With just a week remaining until the deadline, things are about to get interesting. Kerfoot is scheduled to become a UFA this summer.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 23 | 673 ANSWERS Insider identifies the most likely Leaf to move before the deadline What should the Leafs do with Alex Kerfoot? | ||
| Keep him | 167 | 24.8 % |
| Trade him | 456 | 67.8 % |
| Re-sign him | 50 | 7.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
