Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke says he has received what he calls two "solid" trade offers since the weekend.
Speaking on Toronto's AM 640 radio on Monday, Burke did not elaborate on the particulars of the deals. He did indicate that a move may not be imminent, and explained that the trade market is picking up some steam.
"It's unlikely that someone is going to make the deal that we want after six or seven games," Burke told AM 640. "Nobody is desperate, and nobody has had a poor enough start that they absolutely have to move a key guy. You're not going to get into a real deal probably for a bit yet. But we're ready and we're flexible when it does come through."
Burke explained that the Maple Leafs have prepared themselves for when the time comes to get involved in the trade market.
"We have cap space and budget space, and I would say we hadn't even gotten a sniff until the last two days, and now it's finally starting to heat up," said Burke. "We're encouraged that we're finally starting to get something on the line. Everyone knew we had space and budget room, and nothing was happening. Now I'm a little more encouraged."
Burke spent a good deal of his summer taking offers on defenceman
Tomas Kaberle, who had a window where he could be moved while his no-trade clause was waived. In the end, Kaberle remained a Maple Leaf when Burke did not find an offer to his liking.
Right now, Toronto is under the salary cap and can take on salary, which means the team does not necessarily have to trade away a player from its roster to complete a deal.
"With each passing day, our cap space goes up. We're in a good position to add a player that can make a difference," explained Burke. "We're not in a position where we have unlimited funds to spend. We do have some room, but we're going to wait and make the deal that we think is best."
