Toronto Maple Leafs Should Look To Trade Joffrey Lupul

I really like Joffrey Lupul. He’s one of my favorite players on the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it’s time they traded him. The only problem with trying to trade Lupul would be finding a team willing to take him.

Now his contract is nowhere near as bad as David Clarkson‘s was, but at $5.25 million until the end of the 2017-18 season with a no-trade clause, it’s not a great contract to have count against the cap. At 32 years old, Lupul’s injuries over the years have started to catch up with him.

In 43 games this season Lupul has just 14 points, which will put him on pace for around 30 points. Although 30 points isn’t anything to scoff at, it is quite low when that player is making over $5 million a season. Lupul’s best season with the Leafs was also a career high year for points finishing with 67 points in 66 games during the 2011-12 NHL season. Since then his point totals have begun to decline. Lupul missed most of the 2012-13 season with an injury, finished the 2013-14 season with 44 points in 69 games, and then finished last season with 21 points in 55 games.

It’s unfortunate that Lupul has struggled with injuries over the years, but even if a player is great it’s hard to rationalize paying him $5 million a year when he is rarely able to play a full season.

The only problem with trading Lupul is that every reason that Toronto has to trade Lupul would be a reason against a team wanting to take him. There is no team that would want to take on a 32-year-old player who is prone to injury, has declining offensive ability and costs the team $5 million a year until the end of the 2017-18 season. It’s more likely that Lupul either retires before his contract ends or Toronto buys out his contract.