It promises to be an interesting all-star break.

With the Maple Leafs in freefall, and most teams having their scouts and top brass meet either in St. Catharines with the Top Prospects events, or in Columbus at the All-Star Game, the trade chatter is only going to get hotter.

A source told the Star the Leafs are quietly shopping Dion Phaneuf , Phil Kessel and others -- exclusively to Western Conference teams.

Nothing is imminent, but as GMs come out of this weekend with a better idea of their own depth and draft and playoff expectations, things could heat up.



Colorado -- which has a young blue line -- may be more interested in Phaneuf than Jake Gardiner, whose name has come up in possible trade talks for centre Ryan O'Reilly.

No team is expected to bite on either Kessel or Phaneuf until the trade deadline because of the size of their contracts. Teams that are saving salary cap space now can fit bigger contracts in -- this year -- for short term fixes.

Even then, the Leafs may not trade them.

For one thing, both have limited no trades, so they control the market and have a say. If Colorado is not on Phaneuf's radar, then it doesn't matter how interested the Avs are.

(The details of the limits on their no-trades are not publicly known. Typically, every summer, a player offers a list of teams he will and won't accept trades to.)

Kessel and Phaneuf both signed the deals they signed so they could stay in Toronto. Had both wanted to leave Toronto, they could have waited for unrestricted free agency and gotten better deals. They showed loyalty to the Leafs.

The Leafs would be wise to try to avoid the messy situation San Jose found itself in, when the Sharks signed long-term no-movement deals with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau before the playoffs and tried to trade them after.

If he's available on the trade market, the interest in Kessel would be through the roof.



"Over an 82-game season, his offence is consistent. He goes into slumps, but over 82-games, few can do what he can do," said a rival executive.

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KADRI TALKS

Which brings us to Nazem Kadri. The Maple Leafs front office has opened up talks with Kadri on a contract extension. Kadri is first on the list as an important player to re-sign. Sportsnet is saying the opening salvo to keep the young centre -- who will be a restricted free agent in this summer -- is a five-year offer at around $22 million.

The final number will probably be higher, especially if it means Kadri is surrendering a couple of years of unrestricted free agency.

Up next, surely Cody Franson, who will either be signed to an extension or be traded at the deadline. Otherwise, Franson will be an unrestricted free agent and could be lost for nothing.

It's only normal to try to re-sign your key players. Players with contracts -- especially long ones -- are more valuable than players without because, if there's a trade, the other team wants to know what it's getting itself into.

MINOR MOVE



The Leafs sent Matt Frattin, Stuart Percy and Josh Leivo to the Marlies. Those three were sent to the Marlies to get the off the Leafs books and save a bit of salary cap space.