(My Sportsbook) - According to a published report, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to trade hard-nosed forward Darcy Tucker.

The Toronto Sun reported in its Tuesday edition that the team is "negotiating intensely" with a Western Conference club that is interested in the 27-year- old. The paper also stated that the trading of Tucker would be just the initial part of a plan to move center Shayne Corson, who is Tucker's brother- in-law and close friend.

Corson, who will make $2.25 million this season, has a no-trade clause in his current contract and it isn't believed he has any intention to give it up, especially if Tucker remains in Toronto. So the course of action would be to move Tucker, spur Corson to waive the clause, and then deal him too.

The report in the Sun stated that the Leafs are interested in obtaining a forward in a deal for Tucker, which comes somewhat as a surprise considering how poorly the team's defense has played to this point in the season.

Tucker started the season off on fire, contributing three goals and six assists in the first five games, primarily playing alongside captain Mats Sundin and sniper Alexander Mogilny. Since then, however, he has managed a mere one goal and is no longer skating on the top unit.

The Maple Leafs as a whole, meanwhile, are 4-9-2 through 15 games and sit fourth in the Northeast Division. On Saturday night they dropped a 6-3 decision to the St. Louis Blues at the Savvis Center, and fell to 1-3-1 in their last five outings.

"We're in a tough spot," head coach Pat Quinn said. "We've got a lot of good people in our dressing room and collectively we're not getting it done."

UP NEXT

The Leafs will host Los Angeles on Tuesday, and visit Buffalo on Friday. In all, they'll play four of their next five matches on home ice.