Maple Leafs acquire McCabe, Lafferty from Blackhawks
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenceman Jake McCabe and forward Sam Lafferty in exchange for a conditional 2025 first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick and forwards Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev.
The Leafs are also getting a conditional fifth-rounder in 2024 and a conditional fifth in 2025 from the Blackhawks in the deal. The 2025 conditional first-round selection is top-10 protected.
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reports the Blackhawks are retaining 50 per cent of McCabe's $4 million cap hit for this season, as well as the remaining two seasons on his four-year, $16 million deal.
McCabe was the No. 3 player on TSN's latest Trade Bait Board while Lafferty was at spot No. 6. TSN's Travis Yost wrote earlier on Monday why McCabe could help a contending team.
The 29-year-old McCabe has registered two goals and 18 assists in 55 games this season. Originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round (44th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, McCabe has tallied 24 goals and 89 points in 471 career games.
Lafferty, 27, has 10 goals and 11 assists in 51 games so far in 2022-23 and is under contract through next season at a cap hit of $1.15 million.
Joining the Blackhawks, Anderson has two goals and an assist in 14 games with the Leafs this season, and 14 goals and 13 assists in 30 games with the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies. He cleared waivers last week.
Gogolev has 21 goals and 27 assists in 33 games with the ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers.
Maple Leafs keep adding in top-heavy Atlantic division
Monday's trade comes just over a week after the Maple Leafs traded a package that also included a first-round pick to acquire Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues.
In the next three drafts, the Maple Leafs have just one first-round pick (2024) and no second-round picks. The team has just one pick - a third round selection - in the first four rounds of the 2023 NHL Draft - that selection could be, however, be claimed by the Arizona Coyotes instead of the 2025 second-round pick acquired in the
Toronto continues to fight with the Tampa Bay Lightning for second in the Atlantic Division. The Maple Leafs are four points ahead of the Lightning with one more game played and 13 points back of the Boston Bruins for first place in the division.
The Lightning added to their roster Sunday, trading defenceman Cal Foote and five picks to the Nashville Predators to acquire Tanner Jeannot.
The Bruins acquired defenceman Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals to add to their roster last week.