The Toronto Maple Leafs keep moving ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline.
The club has reacquired Luke Shen nearly 15 years after picking him fifth overall in the 2008 draft. This follows his two trades on Tuesday in which Toronto sent fellow defenseman Rasmus Sundin to Washington’s Capitals and Pierre Engvall to the New York Islanders. .
A pending unrestricted free agent exchange, Shen’s exchange included the Leafs sending a third-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks in June.
The 33-year-old has three goals and 21 points in the 2022-23 season. In 918 regular season games against Toronto, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Arizona, Anaheim, Tampa and Vancouver, Shen tallied his 41 goals and 190 points.
The 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup champion with Tampa, the Saskatoon native has 3 goals and 3 assists in 31 postseason games.
The Leafs traded Shen to Philadelphia in 2012 after spending four seasons in Toronto for James van Riemsdyke.
With a trade deadline set for Friday, the afternoon’s move began with Toronto sending Sandin to Washington for Blueliner Eric Gustafsson and a first-rounder in 2023.
The Leafs have since dealt Engvall to New York for a 2024 third-round selection.
Sandin, the 29th pick in 2018, has scored 4 goals and 20 goals in 52 appearances this season. The 22-year-old has scored his 10 goals and his 48 points in his 140 regular season appearances with the Leafs. He scored once in five playoff contests.
Gustafsson scored 7 goals and 38 goals in 61 games in the 2022-23 season. In 370 career games against Chicago, Calgary, Philadelphia, Montreal and Washington, the 30-year-old has tallied his 39 goals and his 187 points. He added 8 points (1 goal and 7 assists) in his 31 playoff contests.
The pick, which comes to the Leafs in Tuesday’s deal with Washington, was originally acquired from Boston in a trade last week, while the Bruins acquired defenseman Dmitri Orloff and forward Garnett Hathaway from the Capitals.
Engvall has scored 12 goals and 21 points in 58 appearances this season. The 26-year-old, who was named in his seventh round in 2014, has scored 42 goals and 83 points in his 226 games with Toronto. He added 4 assists in 17 postseason appearances.
Shen and Gustafsson join a roster that has been heavily reshaped by general manager Kyle Dubus in recent weeks as the Leafs seek to reach the postseason for the first time since 2004.
Toronto acquired centers Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from St. Louis on Feb. 17 and defender Jake McCabe and forward Sam Lafferty from Chicago on Monday.
Duvas has lost a number of high-draft picks in recent years, including deals with St. Louis and Chicago, but Gustav, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July after making $800,000 in 2022. I got one back in exchange for Song. twenty three.
The Sandins are set to hit a $1.4 million salary cap next season before potentially becoming a restricted free agent in the summer of 2024.
Engvall, who has earned $2.25 million this season, is set to become a UFA in July.
Meanwhile, Shen will earn $850,000 in 2022-23.
This report by the Canadian Press was first published on February 28, 2023.
