NHL Rumors: 2 Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Candidates

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas continues to negotiate new contracts with the likes of Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren, Jack Campbell, Pierre Engvall and Ilya Mikheyev and when you only have roughly $7 million to currently work with in cap space, negotiations can be tough. Look for the Maple Leafs to try and shed some salary cap space and these two players could be involved in trades:

Jake Muzzin

When it comes to shut-down veteran defenseman Jake Muzzin is certainly up there as the 33-year-old has a solid resume which includes winning a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings. He's signed for two more seasons at $5.6 million and with Mark Giordano coming back and with Morgan Rielly signed long term, the left side of the Maple Leafs defense is a touch crowded. Muzzin isn't an offensive juggernaut, however he chipped in with 14 points in 47 games during the regular season, a year where he battled some concussion issues. He scored two more goals during the team's seven-game series against the Tampa Bay Lightning and if Dubas and company want to create some flexibility to secure a starting goaltender for next season, look for Muzzin's name to be involved in trade talks as early as the NHL Entry Draft.

Alexander Kerfoot

Along with Muzzin, Alexander Kerfoot and his $3.5 million have become a prime target. The team is going to be in tough to move goaltender Petr Mrazek so they may need to turn to someone with trade potential and a market for their services. Kerfoot certainly has this as he's a solid producer at even strength and can kill penalties with the best of them. The versatile forward who can play both wing and down the middle recorded 51 points in 82 games in 2021-22. If Toronto doesn't make a bold move like moving William Nylander, look for someone like either Muzzin or Kerfoot to be shipped out so they can lock down talent for the crease as you can't win much without a reliable netminder.