The Kerfoot update that nobody wanted
PUBLICATION
Bradley Celsie
September 14, 2022 (9:36)
Versatile forward Alexander Kerfoot is often mentioned by the fan base when discussing who should be traded. However, The Athletic's James Mirtle revealed on his latest podcast that he does not believe the Leafs are actively shopping Kerfoot. His full quote is available below:
The thing to keep in mind is that it has never gotten out that the Leafs have been shopping Kerfoot. I never heard from another team that he's been offered around or anything like that. I think that the Leafs front office values Kerfoot more than the general fan base does.
-James Mirtle on The Leaf Report
Kerfoot always seemed like a natural fit for a cap dump. First off, he is on an expiring contract that pays him $750,000 in real dollars, but carries a $3.5 million cap hit due to signing bonuses being paid out. This is usually attractive to teams that budget their payroll under the salary cap. Additionally, in past seasons, we have seen the Leafs move out the middle class of their team in order stay cap compliant (Andreas Johnsson, Kasperi Kapanen, etc.). But with training camp approaching, it is looking more and more like he will be on the opening night roster.
Perhaps the Leafs still see a value in keeping the 28-year-old. He is coming off a career season in points, tallying 51 (13 goals & 38 assists) in 82 games. He can play any forward position, kills penalties, and is easily moved up and down the lineup.
Kerfoot is heading into his sixth season in the NHL and fourth with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In that time, he has tallied 187 points (64 goals & 123 assists) in 360 regular season games.
POLL |
SEPTEMBRE 14 | 1338 ANSWERS The Kerfoot update that nobody wanted Will Kerfoot be on the Leafs roster come opening night? |
Yes | 1176 | 87.9 % |
No | 162 | 12.1 % |
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