Tomas Kaberle could be the next member of the Maple Leafs heading out of Toronto - if he's asked.
The 10-year blueline veteran hinted to the Toronto Sun prior to the Leafs' game in Montreal Thursday that he wouldn't stand in the way of a trade if general manager Brian Burke told him he was no longer part of the team's future.
"Obviously when the GM is going to tell you he doesn't want you here any more, you don't want to play for a team if someone doesn't want you any more," he told the Sun. "That's a different story."
Kaberle added that he has not been approached by Burke with any requests for a trade. "It's pretty much with Brian if he's going to talk to me or not," Kaberle told the Sun. "I haven"t talked to the GM and my agent didn"t talk to him. Let's leave it at that for now. My thing never changed. I signed here because I love to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. That never changed. Let's leave it at that."
Kaberle has a no-trade clause in his contract, a deal that pays him $4.25 million a season through the 2010-11 campaign.
It isn't the first time Kaberle has been mentioned in trade rumours and speculation. Leaf interim general manager Cliff Fletcher reportedly had a deal in place last winter to send him to Philadelphia for centre Jeff Carter and a first-round draft pick, but the trade was turned down by Kaberle.
In 40 games with the Leafs this season, he has 25 points.