Rumor: Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Could Be Moved

The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the hottest teams in the league. Their slow start is behind them and the club is 9-1 in their past 10 games. There's been several trade rumors regarding their defensemen and now forward Wayne Simmonds has been deemed as someone who could become expendable. 

The Maple Leafs have a ton of forward depth and Simmonds has been struggling so far this season. He was a healthy scratch last week for the first time in his 14 year career and knows he needs to improve his game to stay in the Leafs lineup. He spoke to Mark Masters of TSN and had this to say about being told to sit for a game:

1st time for me in 14 yrs ... It was a little bit of a tough pill to swallow, but we got a lot depth here ... for me, it was trying to get ready for the next game & make sure my head was still in it

So far in 16 games, Simmonds has put up three points. He's not paid $900,000 to score 30 goals, but the team does expect him to be competing each and every shift and for him to chip in with some offense from time to time. 

The Maple Leafs recently re-acquired Kyle Clifford who also plays a fourth line role as someone who sticks up for his teammates. This move should get Simmonds attention, although the 33-year-old does have a full no-trade clause this season. That doesn't limit the fact the Maple Leafs can still send Simmonds down to the minors if needed. 

For now, Simmonds just hopes he can stay in the lineup as the Maple Leafs continue to tear up the NHL.

Photo credit:   James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports