The Toronto Maple Leafs are actively shopping John-Michael Liles and they are willing to retain a significant portion of Liles’s salary for the remainder of his contract to encourage a trade.
Liles, currently with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, carries a $3.875 million cap hit through 2015-2016.
He has a modified no-trade clause, which includes a list of 12 teams, submitted during the summer, that he would accept a trade to. However, at this point, Liles is more than willing to consider all NHL interest.
There is no way we trade Kadri for Gagner. It is not a win – win,it is a downgrade. Kadri is an enigma? Then Gagner is a one game wonder dud. This trade never happens.
I agree, that trade will never happen. I have read that Liles could be going to Carolina.
I say trade Liles and chew a bit of the salary and maybe we can get another centre for the top line.
JM Liles is still a servicable defencemen. At 32 years old can also become a leader on a younger team. Watching Edmonton play last night against the Leafs indicates that the Oilers could use a player like Liles. The big names in Edmonton are all out of play BUT Ryan Jones strikes me as a player who would mesh well with the current Leaf’s roster. Liles has value with the Marlies where there are several young defenders who can benefit from his mentoring. The Leafs have been after Sam Gagner for a couple years, a huge upgrade at centre from anything in the Leafs’ system. Kadri is an inigma and a problem player. A trade of Kadri and Liles for Gagner and Jones is win-win. I suspect that being out of the bright lights of Toronto would benefit Kadri who remains a defensive liability and a selfish player.