Joined: Jan. 2017
Posts: 7,743
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With the way Kappy has been playing recently, it would be very hard for me personally to see him traded.
He has been playing with gusto (something the Leafs lack). He has been flying up and down the rink, standing up for his teammates, getting into the gritty areas of the ice to try and help the team succeed. I feel like those tangibles are impossible for the Leafs to trade away because they lack those kinds of players (Hyman, Kappy, and maybe Clifford all seem to me to have these intangibles).
If the Leafs want a chance to compete against the likes of Boston (players with tangibles: Marchand (inate ability to get under opponents skins), Pasta (hits, isn't afraid of the corners or needing to take a hit for a play), Debrusk (Marchand-lite), Coyle (two-way guy, likes to hit, isn't afraid to take hits), McAvoy (can also get under players skins) and Tampa (who just acquired gritty/irritating guys in Coleman and Goodrow, Maroon during the offseason).
Potentially adding a depth defender like Bortuzzo or Borowiecki (long shot as Dorion wants him in Ottawa long term, and he just had a kid) could bring some of those veteran work-ethic intangibles.
I would happily do the NJD trade with Mango and pick instead of Kappy. Kappy really seems like he wants to be a Leaf long-term with his recent play