Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs have been begging for changes after watching their team slump in the Atlantic and fade out of the playoff picture. According to Sportsnet.ca, those changes may be coming as the Maple Leafs are expected to be one of the busiest teams at the NHL trade deadline.
The report, one which originated from Damien Cox and was passed on by Elliotte Friedman, details that the Maple Leafs may move several players at the deadline. Three players specifically mentioned were Cody Franson, Mike Santorelli and Daniel Winnik. All three will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the year.
Moving Franson, Santorelli and Winnik makes a lot of sense from the perspective that the Maple Leafs would receive a return on players they may not be interested in retaining beyond 2014-15. However, fans likely want more significant, long-term changes. Those may come as well as the report indicates Tyler Bozak is on the chopping block as well. Bozak may be more difficult to move as he still has three years and a fairly sizable $4.2 million annual cap hit remaining on his contract.
In summary, Toronto should be a name fans hear frequently prior to the deadline. Will the Maple Leafs make the right moves and enough moves to appease their fans?
