The Times Maple Leafs’ Tomas Kaberle Was Almost Traded – The Hockey Writers Hockey History Latest News, Analysis & More

*This article was originally published in March 2024

There are also some great hockey stories that Toronto Maple Leafs fans can look back and reflect on. This brings us to the trades that could have been surrounding the Maple Leafs’ former defenceman Tomas Kaberle. Some recent reports have brought to light some trades that were tabled but never crossed the finish line, with Kaberle as the key asset going out the door from Toronto. Kaberle became one of the greatest defencemen in the Maple Leafs’ history. Without further ado, let’s get into those trades.

Kaberle Goes South?

Trade Breakdown:

Toronto Maple Leafs Receive: Vincent Lecavalier

Tampa Bay Lightning Receive: Nik Antropov, Jonas Hoglund, Tomas Kaberle & TBL’s choice of Brad Boyes or a 1st Round Pick

On the most recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, co-hosts Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talked about a trade that never came to be. As per Marek, the trade was due to the heightened hostility between Vincent Lecavalier and John Tortorella, which is ironic because the same thing is happening now between Tortorella and Sean Couturier. Marek had this to say about the trade that almost was: “This was when Torts was there and Vinny weren’t getting along. The deal didn’t happen after Dudley resigned and Jay Feaster took over. He told them both that he wouldn’t fire Torts or trade Lecavalier, so you two need to figure it out.” Feaster took over as Dudley’s replacement in February 2002, which means Lecavalier would have been entering his age-23 season and would have been a vital part of the Maple Leafs.

If the new Lightning’s management hadn’t vetoed this trade, this could have made the Maple Leafs very deep and skilled down the middle. Lecavalier would have played behind Mats Sundin in the two-hole and could have helped the Maple Leafs throughout the early 2000s. There were many years when they were battling the Ottawa Senators in the early to mid-2000s, and the Maple Leafs were just one star away from beating the Senators and making a run for the Stanley Cup, especially after 2004, when the team went on a seven-year playoff drought. 

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Unfortunately, it would have meant saying goodbye to Kaberle, arguably the best offensive defenceman at the time. However, this could have enticed the Maple Leafs to spend a bit more in free agency to bring in his replacement. The year after this trade could have happened, Toronto brought in Hall of Famer Brian Leetch in March 2004, where he had 15 points in 15 games. This could have been a trade they tried to make earlier had they lost Kaberle in the Lecavalier trade. Overall, this trade would have changed the entire dynamic of the organization. There could have been a world where they didn’t make the Phil Kessel trade with the Boston Bruins and subsequently did not have the chance to draft Matthews in 2016. Although it would have likely meant more playoff berths, would you make that trade if it meant, down the road, you wouldn’t have Matthews? For me, no, but it’s hard to answer because my two favorite players of all time are Kaberle and Matthews.

Kaberle Heads West?

Trade Breakdown:

Toronto Maple Leafs Receive: Chris Pronger

Edmonton Oilers Receive: Tomas Kaberle, Alexander Steen and a first-round draft choice

According to former Maple Leafs’ GM and now Sportsnet employee Gord Stellick, the Maple Leafs were close to trading Kaberle yet again in June 2006. This time, for future Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, a member of the Edmonton Oilers at the time. Edmonton acquired Pronger in August 2005, a huge reason why the Oilers would run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006. However, in the summer of 2006, he was traded again to the Anaheim Ducks in a large deal, where Pronger would go on to win the Cup with the Ducks. But before that trade was offered, the Maple Leafs put their best deal on the table. Stellick reported that the trade offer was Kaberle, Alexander Steen, and a first-round draft choice, which the Oilers were very interested in accepting. Still, the Maple Leafs’ GM, John Ferguson, didn’t like the idea of dealing Kaberle.

Stellick wrote in his 2015 report: “Apparently, Leafs GM John Ferguson was reluctant to part with Kaberle in the package. Perhaps Ferguson was reluctant to part with Kaberle’s talent, or perhaps he felt moving him would have been a sign of bad faith after signing him to a new contract just a month or so earlier.” His new contract involved a no-trade clause but didn’t come into effect until July, so Ferguson had a month to make this trade. As a result, he seemed to have pulled the deal off the table, and at that point, the Ducks’ GM Brain Burke made the trade with Edmonton, and Pronger would go on to hoist the Stanley Cup with the Ducks.

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As much as it was nice of Ferguson to respect Kaberle and his choice to stay with the Maple Leafs rather than test the open market, I still wonder why this deal wasn’t discussed more to find another path to make it work, that wouldn’t involve Kaberle, to allow for him to stay on the team. Imagine a pairing of Kaberle and Pronger; that would have been awesome to watch. Sadly, the deal was squashed, and in 2008, the Maple Leafs traded Carlo Colaiacovo and Steen to the St. Louis Blues for Lee Stempniak. This has to hurt Leafs Nation even more, as this was the start of the down years in Toronto.

Overall, I’m glad I could watch my favorite player (Kaberle) night in and night out. That said, it would have been cool to experience the Maple Leafs remaining competitive instead of struggling and missing the playoffs for 10 of the 11 years before drafting Matthews and changing their fortunes. Regardless, it is still incredibly interesting to look back at trades that could have been made and see how the players’ careers panned out.