Friedman: Leafs, Canadiens discussed possible Lupul trade last year

Elliotte Friedman was on Toronto’s Sportsnet 590 on Friday morning.

On trying to place a value on a talent like Joffrey Lupul, who is frequently hurt:

“The one thing that happens is I do believe that there’s an asterisk next to a name.

“Last year, I think the Maple Leafs had some conversations with other teams, I think Montreal was one, about Lupul. And they didn’t get the deals done, and I remember asking Dave Nonis about it at the end of the summer. I said, ‘What’s the deal with Lupul? I heard there was some talk.’

“And Nonis made what I think was a really good point and that is that Joffrey Lupul, when healthy, is a guy who is worth his salary. And if you get rid of him, all of the sudden you’re going to be paying the same amount of money, if not more – plus whatever you have to give up in a trade - to get what he can bring to you. You know, guys who can get 60 points for you are guys who make $5.5-6 million.

“So I think the Maple Leafs kind of looked at it like, ‘If only we can keep him on the ice, we recognize his value.

“I think other teams look at him and they say... You know what? One GM told me if you’re going to commit to a guy long-term, you better make sure he’s a guy who can stay in your lineup. And I think that’s the biggest asterisk he’s got with him.”

Source: Sportsnet 590/ Transcript: Nichols on Hockey