Report: Gorges unwilling to waive modified no-trade clause to join Maple Leafs

An odd trade between bitter rivals is complicated enough. It's particularly problematic though, when a veteran player uses his modified no-trade clause to nix the deal.

That's what has happened with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Montreal Canadiens, and defenseman Josh Gorges according to a report from TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Apparently the Canadiens were looking to shed Gorges' salary and Toronto was interested in acquiring the defensive defender who has regularly logged top-four minutes during his Montreal tenure. It wasn't a simple transaction, so much as a three-dimensional one though since Gorges has a modified no-trade clause and Toronto wasn't on the list of 15 teams to which Gorges was willing to move.

Gorges has flatly refused to waive his no trade clause to join the Maple Leafs, McKenzie reports.

So now the Maple Leafs don't get their Tim Gleason replacement, while the Canadiens have a respected veteran player on the roster who they very publicly tried to force out. 

McKenzie suggests that, if the Canadiens can't move him to one of the teams to which he's willing to be dealt, they may threaten to place Gorges on waivers. The waiver hammer might convince Gorges to accept a deal to Toronto since, if he goes on waivers, he'll have zero control over his ultimate destination.