Final Deadline Trades:
Alexei Ponikarovsky to Pittsburgh for Luca Caputi and Martin Skoula
Martin Skoula to New Jersey for a fifth round draft selection.
Lee Stempniak to PHX for 4th and 7th rounders.
Joey MacDonald to ANA for a 7th rounder in 2011.
Wrap-Up: That looks to be a wrap on Brian Burke’s trade activity for the 2009-10 season. The Stempniak deal was obviously a form of loss-cutting on a pending UFA, but it’s a bit painful to remember who we sacrificed to acquire him in November of 2008 in two albeit underachieving first rounders in Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo. The Leafs will not draft until the third round this year, and Burke did not succeed in that sense, however he moved the only piece realistically capable of fetching a second rounder for a semi-established young asset with the potential to replace Poni at an immediately cheaper price in Luca Caputi. It looks as though no takers could be found on either Wayne Primeau or Garnet Exelby, who look sure to now enter the FA market July 1.
There seems to be details yet to unfurl surrounding the Tomas Kaberle situation this deadline, as once again Leafs fans were teased into believing a deal was pending (involving Hodgson, as it was reported, or possibly Alzner from Washington) only for what looked to be an imminent deal to be flatly denied by Brian Burke in the end. There are rumblings that Kaberle might have nixed a deal in similar fashion to the Jeff Carter situation at the ’08 deadline.
From Garrett Bauman:
Ponikarovsky — Got a decent prospect (Caputi) for a guy who the team had no plans to re-sign. Poni will get north of 3.5m on the open market this summer.
Skoula — Got a 5th rounder for a guy who was just a salary take-on. No problem with that ¦ basically amounts to Poni for Caputi + a 5th.
Stempniak — Buffalo was interested, but wanted to add size & grit and when the Torres deal came up, that was their preferable option. This one amounts to Burke getting a 4 and 7 for a guy they had no plans on re-signing. A something instead of nothing deal.
MacDonald — The 7th they got for him amounts to the same idea as the Stempniak deal. Get an asset for a guy who the team was planning to let walk for nothing at season—s end.
6th for Peluso — don—t know much about this. Late pick for a guy the Leafs like as a future depth player.
Kaberle — Van was in play briefly, Wsh came very close to happening. A deal was rumoured to be on the table, team approached Kabs and he declined. Simple as that.”
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Update (2:55 p.m.): Stempniak to Phoenix for fourth and seventh round draft picks. Burke has also completed a minor deal with Anaheim, shipping out goaltender Joey MacDonald for a 7th rounder in 2011.
Update (2:40 p.m.): Dreger indicates that Stempniak’s been traded.
From USA Today’s Kevin Allen: “Stempniak will be traded, nothing close on Exelby or Primeau, and Kaberle isn’t going to be dealt.”
Update (2:30 p.m.): The ridiculousness of the Kaberle saga continues as Brian Burke tells Sportsnet that he doesn’t expect to ask him to waive his NTC... Could easily be posturing (technically he doesn’t expect to ask until he receives a deal worthy of a trade), but Burke’s never changed his stance here.
From Tony Ambrogio’s twitter: Burke on Kaberle “His agent indicated there are a couple of locations he would go. We’ve explored those locations nothing happened.”
Update (2:25 p.m.): General sentiment among the insiders now is that the Hodgson deal possibility is remote, and that the earlier-rumoured Washington deal is more plausible.
Update (2:00 p.m.): The Hockey News’ Mark Siedel reports: “Tomas Kaberle is as good as gone and look to Vancouver/Hodgson as calls have been made about his back.”
Update (1:30 p.m.): From The Fourth Period: “One NHL exec expects Kaberle to be moved.”
Tomas Kaberle has told reporters that he will waive his NTC if a deal is presented to him. Now it’s a matter of whether or not a GM will meet Burke’s lofty demands.
Update (Noon): From Kevin Allen of USA Today via twitter: “Traded emails with two GMs. Nothing that happens with Tomas Kaberle should surprise us. Teams believe he will waive NTC for right deal.” Elliotte Friedman reports that the Leafs have kicked the tires on Phoenix’s Peter Mueller alongside a slew of other teams.
Update (11:30 a.m.): Brian Burke – “with the players we are looking at moving, things won’t start heating up until 1:30 or 2 pm.” The likes Lee Stempniak and Wayne Primeau are likely on Plan C lists for many general managers, so we shouldn’t expect to see the expected departures occur until closer to the 3 p.m. deadline.
Update: Various reports indicate Burke has turned and flipped Skoula to New Jersey for a mid-level draft pick (confirmed: NJ’s 5th rounder). Verdict: Ponikarovsky for Caputi + 5th round pick; not too shabby.
Update: Howard Berger is rumouring that the Capitals are preparing to submit an offer for Kaberle possibly involving blueliner Karl Alzner.
From Elliotte Friedman of CBC via twitter:
“Kaberle agent, Rick Curran: no list submitted, BUT if Toronto comes to him with offer — will at least consider it.”
There’s been a reappearance of Kaberle to Boston rumours in wake of their moving of Derek Morris. However, the move seems to be a cap-clearing measure for other moves not necessarily Kaberle-related. The Fourth Period reports Bruin interest in Joe Corvo, Dan Hamhuis and Raffi Torres. Update: Chiarelli has acquired rearguard Dennis Seidenberg.
There will certainly be inquiries and offers made about and for Kaberle leading up to the 3 p.m. deadline… them being to both Burke and Kaberle’s liking remains an outside shot.
On backend, there is rumour Burke’s looking to turn and move Martin Skoula, acquired as a salary dump component in the Luca Caputi – Alexei Ponikarovsky deal yesterday. That Pittsburgh could only move him in such fashion makes me eager to see what Burke could pull off if anything, perhaps incorporating him as part of a package. Garnet Exelby is another distinct candidate to be dealt leading up to 3 p.m.
Update: Skoula deal done. From Hockey or Die: “Skoula joined the Leafs last night in the Ponikarovsky trade, and makes it look a little better. I didn—t think the Leafs would be able to flip Skoula, despite his cheap contract, because he—s struggled the last few seasons. I—m not sure what the return is, but assuming it—s a late draft pick or a fringe prospect this is a good trade by Brian Burke.”
