Leafs winger gives his thoughts on surviving another trade deadline despite several rumours that he'd be traded
The trade deadline can be a very exciting time from the fans' perspective, but as a player, it can be far more mentally taxing if you let the rumours and the chatter get inside your head. For Leafs winger Alexander Kerfoot, just because he wasn't traded at the deadline, it doesn't necessarily mean that he still doesn't feel some pressure.
"Just because there's maybe no pressure of being traded (now) doesn't mean there's no pressure. The pressure ramps up at this time. The whole goal is going out there and performing. Right now, you need to perform more than at any point in the season.
For me personally, I've been traded once in my career � and you're never fully comfortable. You know that it's a business, and you know that at any time you can get traded. You just have to tune that out as much as possible. If you were listening to every rumour that was floating around, then it would be a stressful life.
This is what you dream about. You dream about playing for a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs and be in a position where expectations are high and you have the opportunity to go make a run. We know that the playoffs in Toronto are a special thing, and we want to extend that for as long as we can. And make it fun."
-Kerfoot on surviving another trade deadline
For me personally, I've been traded once in my career � and you're never fully comfortable. You know that it's a business, and you know that at any time you can get traded. You just have to tune that out as much as possible. If you were listening to every rumour that was floating around, then it would be a stressful life.
This is what you dream about. You dream about playing for a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs and be in a position where expectations are high and you have the opportunity to go make a run. We know that the playoffs in Toronto are a special thing, and we want to extend that for as long as we can. And make it fun."
-Kerfoot on surviving another trade deadline
Kerfoot is one of the Leafs' players who has been on the hypothetical trading block for quite some time. Every summer, every deadline, every draft, fans are looking to include Kerfoot in just about every armchair GM trade they can. However, the organization seems to value what Kerfoot brings to the table in terms of his effectiveness on the defensive side of the puck and his versatility to be able to play both wing and center, as well as his penalty killing abilities.
There were plenty of rumours leading up to this year's trade deadline that this might finally be the year that he'd be moved as the Leafs were right up against the salary cap and Kerfoot's $3.5M cap hit could have provided them with a lot of wiggle room under the cap with which to work to continue to improve the team. In the end, it would appear as though the Leafs value Kerfoot a lot more than they'd have valued the extra cap space.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
| POLL | ||
MARS 5 | 194 ANSWERS Leafs winger gives his thoughts on surviving another trade deadline despite several rumours that he'd be traded Will the Leafs re-sign Alex Kerfoot this summer? | ||
| Yes | 39 | 20.1 % |
| No, he'll be a UFA | 155 | 79.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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