Kaberle is worth it....to trade.

My bias towards Tomas Kaberle needs to be stated right away before this post can go any further.

I am very much biased towards Kaberle. I believe he is too soft. I think his defensive acumen leaves much to be desired. To me, a top defenseman needs to get dirty, be tough, and grind out individual battles in order to help his team win. Kaberle does none of this. This bias likely comes from my father, who I’ve watched hockey with my whole life, and he HATES Kaberle. I used to defend Tomas to him when I was younger, but lately, his hatred has seeped into me. Though I can’t ignore the skill this man possesses in the least, his heart and grit leave much to be desired.

And this is why I think the Leafs need to trade him.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Tomas is insanely skilled. I don’t doubt for a second that he’s among the most skilled defensemen in the league. When you see guys like Boyle, Campbell, Timonen, and even Mark Streit and Ron Hainsey getting the money they sign for, you HAVE to look at Kaberle as a massive bargain. He consistently throws up 50 points a season, and he obviously manufactures an effective power play. When Tomas is out of the lineup, the Leafs clearly suffer. Hell, look at McCabe’s stats playing with Kaberle and when he hasn’t, and its clear Tomas makes the people around him better, at least statistically.

But here is where his value ends. Kaberle will never be the #1 defenseman the Leafs need. He will never be the difference maker in the playoffs. He will never be the key cog in the top 4 that can control the fate of games. And most importantly, he will never provide the massive abstract we call leadership when times are tough with a team. He’s just not that guy.

His skill relates almost directly to the power play, which is nice in and of itself. Power play proficiency in the NHL since the lockout is a HUGE need among all teams. But a power play contributor does not a championship team make.

He would need to be more than that. He would have to shut down the best forwards he faces. He would have to land a body check that changes the tone of a game. He might even have to get into the face of a teammate, or provide some sort of commentary that lights a fire under those he plays with. Tomas, unfortunately, can only provide the aforementioned power play contribution.

As much skill and ability Kaberle is capable of, he is only as valuable as his skill that translates onto the score sheet. Of all of the intangibles us hockey fans love to harp about, Kaberle doesn’t really illustrate any of them. To me, he is a glorified forward who happens to play defense, and if Burke can fetch the return we hope for, god bless Brian.

We will, however, proceed onto the argument that he should be kept. And here are my refutations:

If he’s kept, what is really gained? He has two years left on his contract. So then, what happens? He leaves in 2 years for greener pastures? What does he contribute to a rebuilding team? If you resign him, then what is the cap hit and salary then? It surely won’t be anywhere the $4.25 million he makes now. If anything, Kaberle will become just another massive immovable contract that the Leafs screwed up on, and that’s if he decides to stick around. Trade him now, while his value is highest, and hope for the best, that’s my opinion. Odds are he won’t be around either way when the Buds are ready to contend.

But even if the return isn’t extraordinary, that’s alright with me too. I just hope they get something decent for him, because to me, if and when the Leafs win a championship, I can’t ever see a man like Kaberle leading the way from the defensive end.

We fans should expect, and deserve, better than that.