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Tomas Kaberle will remain a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs ... for now, at least

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You cannot blame this all on Brian Burke. Instead of calling him the “Boy Who Cried Tomas Kaberle” it’s more appropriate to drop it in the lap of the the team itself (it seems like those rumors existed before Burkie right? Maybe? Do we even have memories or has it all concussed our brains?) or the Toronto media.

The window for the Toronto Maple Leafs to trade Kaberle without his go-ahead has closed - and unless there’s simply a report that hasn’t surface just yet - it looks like he’ll be a Leaf for a little longer. Think it might be a little awkward for a couple weeks in training camp? Or is he used to it after being a seemingly constant target of trade rumors over the last few years?

Here’s a statement from Burke and the Leafs.

The hockey club confirms this evening that Tomas Kaberle remains a Leaf. While a number of Clubs made offers to trade for Tomas, none of them reflected Tomas’s value to our team. I understand a period like this is stressful to the player, and we are pleased that there is a resolution, and we can all continue to prepare for the coming season.

Now, it’s important (and a bit agonizing) to note that this isn’t the last chance they have to trade the veteran defenseman altogether, they would just have to gain Kaberle’s permission in a different situation. (Pauses for cruel Edmonton jokes.)

You might think “much ado about nothing” but this story isn’t over yet. It’s just on the back burner. In no time, people will be revving more trade rumors up ... or maybe even contract extension rumors. (How novel.)

Before we go, here’s a look at the jam-packed Leafs defense, with cap hits via CapGeek.com. (click to enlarge)

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James O’Brien

That’s an awfully expensive defense (and team, really, since their goalies and forwards are pricey) for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since the lockout. The Leafs have a little more than $2 million of cap space with 21 spots covered, so they can certainly fill the roster out as is with minimum wage (or slightly above that mark) players. You can see why the team wanted to deal Kaberle, but he’s actually one of the few decent values on the team’s roster. Would you want to pay J.S. Giguere $6 million? Does $3.5 million make sense for Jeff Finger? The list is a bit staggering.

For fans of the team, trade rumors and Kaberle himself, this is really just a temporary bit of closure. It might be exhausting at times, but we’ll let you know if there are any new rumors in the future. Chances are there will be plenty more.