It is believed that the Leafs highest paid player, Phil Kessel ($8 million), has a limited no-trade clause with eight acceptable suitors, according to TSN and Bob McKenzie.
The list, which was submitted prior to the deadline, is believed to include the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference as well as the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference, according to the report.
Earlier this week, Sportsnet's Damian Cox and Elliotte Friedman reported that the Leafs are listening to offers on a potentially groundbreaking move for Kessel prior to the draft.
Friedman reported that Toronto is "prepared" to trade Kessel, while Cox reported that the Leafs are looking to potentially shake up the draft by dealing one of the NHL's best scorers.
And while the list is prohibitive, any trade to move Kessel could be authorized by him in the event that another team makes a significant play. Amid earlier speculation, Kessel admitted in an interview that he wouldn't prohibit a trade if one were to be worked out.
In the last four NHL seasons, only Claude Giroux, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and John Tavares have more points than Kessel's 275, making him one of the more significant assets on the market in quite some time.
In the event of a trade, Kessel's worth is likely that of what Jeff Carter's was - or more - when he fetched a young Jakub Voracek and a couple of top picks in a blockbuster deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.