Toronto Maple Leafs: Is Kasperi Kapanen playing his way out of Toronto?

Has there ever been a time where the Toronto Maple Leafs have had the luxury of being able to tell a roster play, “You’ve played so well that we have to send you out of town!”?

The way Kasperi Kapanen has started his season, has had Toronto Maple Leafs fans asking if he is the answer for the now drawing out William Nylander contract issue. This fan included.

The logic seemed to make sense even a week ago, when the talks between general manager Kyle Dubas and Nylander had stalled and perception was that both sides had their heels dug in. This writer, for instance, even wrote not six days ago that the Leaf brass should look into signing Kapanen to a term contract now, so as not to miss the window of value that is still present.

With the glaring contract negotiations of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, who won’t talk about his contract during the season, and with both adding to their bottom line early in the year, it seemed pressing to perhaps get Kapanen down to a couple of years between $3-3.5 million.

After thinking though, would that cash be a good thing to have in the coffers for when the plethora of Restricted Free Agents need deals at the end of the season?

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However, which angle would be best with regard to Kapanen? Should the Leafs let him play this out to see where it goes? Perhaps having him play out his current RFA deal and seeing what’s what at the end of the year?

Maybe. Maybe this is a good route.

You are not committed beyond this year to a player who, although getting more ice time and better talent around him recently, has been a good player but not stellar, and can still qualify him at year end.

This might be a good avenue. However, you do open yourself up to offer sheets for a player who wouldn’t garner too much in the way of return draft picks for a team that needs scoring, knows the Leafs’ cap squeeze and can exploit a low ball deal.

Or would a route of signing him now to the deal mentioned above and, once the Nylander saga is concluded, look at using a bargain deal to perhaps grab a D-man that is the glaring need. In my opinion, you would have to package Kapanen in with a higher pick, and maybe another prospect, to get the calibre of defenceman who would make a difference.

If I am in the seat, I make this move. People might say, “What do you do if you can’t get a taker?”

No way. A team that needs scoring is going to take a run at a guy like this if the deal makes sense.

Some others might say, “Well, he is only playing this well because he is playing with the likes of Matthews.”  Fair point. And I did say that I could get 30 points playing with Matthews in a season (LAYERS of sarcasm there by the way!)

However, Kapanen could still do the same with another team that is looking at spreading out their scoring over three lines and looking for a compliment to a top two forward line.

I realize that all of this is speculation and that we have no choice but to wonder and debate. However, I cannot help but sit back and truly enjoy this time as a Leafs fan.

There is no need for the ridiculous over valuing of players for trade/return and being laughed at, when wondering why a move can’t be made. This team has, finally, a tremendous amount of depth and is in a position to be able to move a piece for need without deeply affecting the chemistry or future performance of the team as a whole.

Kasperi Kapanen, you have played amazing over the start of the season…but keep a bag packed.