Member of last year's Leafs team reacts to the idea that he may be cut from the team

At the time of the deal, the Leafs had already acquired Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari from St. Louis, so the addition of Lafferty may not have been entirely necessary. However, as everyone knows, you need good depth in the playoffs and so nobody really questioned the move.

Prior to this year's training camp, Lafferty was not only viewed as a player who would almost certainly be on the opening night lineup, but there was a time where many were wondering whether he'd begin the season in the top-6, playing alongside John Tavares and Matthew Knies on the team's 2nd line, as that's how things began for the veteran forward through the first week of camp. Now, however, Lafferty finds himself on a list of Leaf hopefuls rather than the list of players who are all but guaranteed to make the team.

Last night, following the Leafs' loss to Detroit in their pre-season finale, Lafferty was asked about the possibility of being waived or traded this weekend, to which he replied:

It's a good outlook to have, as the decision is out of his hands. Is it likely that the Leafs trade or waive him? I'd dare to say no. Lafferty's speed, defensive presence and experience likely give him the edge over someone like rookie sensation Fraser Minten. However, I can't presume to know what the coaching staff is thinking at the moment, especially in light of Minten's sensational camp. We'll simply have to wait and see what happens when waivers are announced today at 2:00pm ET.