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TORONTO – NOVEMBER 5: Vincent Lecavalier #4 of the Tampa Bay Lightning skates during the NHL game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre November 5, 2005 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo By Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

Vincent Lecavalier Talks About Almost Being Traded to the Maple Leafs in 2001

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Spencer Lazary | Last updated Apr 15, 2025 5:30 PM ET

Recently on an episode of Leafs Morning Take with co-host’s Nick Alberga and former Maple Leafs player Jay Rosehill, Vincent Lecavalier shared the story of the time he was almost traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Lecavalier detailed the entire situation—from how close the deal was, to how he felt about the move nearly happening, and why it ultimately fell through, keeping him a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Let’s jump into it and revisit the moment that almost was.

The Trade that Almost Was

When you think about a trade that includes Lecavalier to the Maple Leafs, you likely think the asking price was high. In this situation, it was, but there was only one big-name player going the other way. Here’s what he had to say about the trade that almost was back in December 2001.

“That deal was done. I got a call from Kent (Hughes). I remember, I was in my pre-game nap and he called me. ‘Alright son, you’re going to Toronto!’ So I was like, oh wow, OK. It was kind of in the works for the last couple of weeks. It’s going to be a new challenge, they’re telling me I was going to play with Mats Sundin. The next thing you know, about half an hour later, he calls me back and said, ‘No go!’ I guess the president heard about it, fired Rick Dudley, the GM, and said you’re not making a trade like that unless you talk to me.”

Trade Breakdown

Lecavalier would go on to reveal that the trade was set up like the following:

Toronto Maple Leafs receive: Vincent Lecavalier
Tampa Bay Lightning receive: Tomas Kaberle, Jonas Hoglund and Nik Antropov

If this trade hadn’t been vetoed by Dudley, it would have drastically altered the Maple Leafs throughout the early 2000s. Mats Sundin would have had someone who had a ton of talent to play alongside, which could have taken their team to the next step. Lecavalier would have been surrounded with other veteran players throughout the 2000s like Owen Nolan, Alexander Mogilny, Gary Roberts and more. However, they would have lost arguably their best defenceman on the team in Kaberle.

Lecavalier talked about his experience having the trade vetoed by the Lightning’s owner:

“As quick as I thought I was traded, about half an hour later, I wasn’t. Obviously, a couple of years later we won a Cup in Tampa, and it was awesome, but at that time, in ’01, I was kinda happy. The Lightning weren’t there yet, they weren’t the hockey market that it is today. And I grew up watching Montreal-Toronto and was like, wow, that’s going to be unreal, but yeah, didn’t happen.”

Unfortunately, the trade didn’t happen, and he remained a member of the Lightning and later went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2004. He would go on to play 14 seasons for Tampa and scored 874 points.

As for the Maple Leafs, Kaberle went on to play 12 seasons with the team and score 520 points. Antropov went on to be a key member of the Maple Leafs during the Sundin era in Toronto and collected 291 points in nine seasons with the team. Hoglund didn’t play nearly as long as the other two did for the Maple Leafs; he only recorded 184 points over four seasons.

If this trade was made official, it could have had a lasting effect on the future of the team. There may have been a Cup or two won, they may not have been so bad for so long. Which could have led to them not drafting William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews. Or, on the other hand, it could have led to another massive blockbuster trade that sent Lecavalier to another team. It is interesting to think about, however, it will always just be a “what if” because the trade never happened.