Rent-a-player time

12 days before the NHL trade deadline(Feb.26th 3pm)

I believe TSN's coverage has just started.

While the two biggest names are Mats Sundin and Marian Hossa, many players who are UFA's at the end of the season could be moved before or on deadline day.

With so many teams close in the standings, some may feel that they are one veteran defenseman or an experienced forward away from making a run in the playoffs.

Here is a list of UFA's that could be on the move:

FORWARDS :

Mats Sundin
Marian Hossa
Bobby Holik
Pascal Dupuis
Yanic Perreault
Martin Lapointe
Vinny Prospal
Chris Gratton
Andre Roy
Sergei Fedorov
David Viborny
Mike Peca
Scott Thornton
Martin Gelinas
Miroslav Satan
Mike Comrie
Ruslan Fedotenko
Trent Hunter
Josef Vasicek


DEFENSEMEN

Brian Campbell
Bret Hedican
Dan Boyle
Adam Foote
Rob Blake
Ron Hainsey
Dick Tarnstrom
Bryan Berard
Frddy Meyer
Bryce Salvador
Barret Jackman
Wade Belak

*******************************************************************

Very interesting interview on Wednesday between James Duthie and former Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr on TSN.

He was asked which players he considered untouchables on the Leafs.

Ferguson's answer was :

Tomas Kaberle
Vesa Toskala
Justin Pogge
Anton Stralman
Jiri Tlusty
Alex Steen
and
Nikolai Kulemin a 21 year old Russian forward.

While everyone seems to believe that the Leafs will be in the Eastern conference cellar for years to come , I believe that if Cliff Fletcher makes the right decisions and the right deals, the future is not as bleak as many observers will have you think.

The four contracts that are killers are: Jason Blake (4 more years-16m),Pavel Kubina(2years-10m),Hal Gill(1year-2.1m)and Andrew Raycroft(1year-2m).

In the case of the last two, the Leafs could easily buy them out.

*************************************************************