Leafs LW Blake would welcome trade

May 11, 2008 - 12:43 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Jason Blake told the Toronto Star on Saturday that he would not object to a change of scenery.

One day after being nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his battle with cancer, Blake told the newspaper that his first season with the Maple Leafs indeed was a frustrating one.

"I don't know," Blake told the Star when asked if he wanted to return to the Maple Leafs. "It's a long time from now until the beginning of the year. We'll see. It was obviously a frustrating year, the most frustrating year I've had in the NHL."

When asked if he would object to being traded, the 34-year-old didn't mince words.

"Oh no, not at all, if that's the route," Blake said. "There has to be change. They have to start rebuilding."

The Maple Leafs began their rebuilding phase officially on Wednesday, when they fired coach Paul Maurice after posting a 36-35-11 record and missing the playoffs for the third straight season. The postseason drought is something that has not happened to the storied franchise since 1926-28.

Toronto general manager Cliff Fletcher, however, sees Blake as a key part of the team's return to prominence.

"We're not thinking of buying him out. He's got four years left on his contract and he's a part of our team," Fletcher told the newspaper. "Now, he's no different from any other player on the team. If there's a trade made available to us that would interest us, we'd pursue it."

After Blake signed a five-year, $20 million contract on the first day of the NHL free-agency period last July, expectations were high in Toronto.

The native of Moorhead, Minnesota led the New York Islanders with career highs of 40 goals and 69 points in 82 games in 2006-07. He also netted a tally and registered two assists in New York's five-game loss to the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Blake, however, recorded just 15 goals and 37 assists in 82 contests with the Maple Leafs.

In his career, Blake has registered 149 tallies and 189 assists in parts of nine campaigns with the Los Angeles Kings, Islanders and Maple Leafs.