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The Leafs receive Zach Sill, a 2nd round pick in 2016 and a 4th round pick in 2015.

This is a handsome return for a depth forward and a late summer pickup out of the bargain bin. The second round pick is in 2016, meaning the Leafs are still without one in 2015, but now have two in 2016.

The Leafs also retained half of Winnik’s $1.3 million salary for the remainder of the season, which helped grease the wheels on the trade for Pittsburgh’s cap but is next to meaningless as far as Leafs are concerned given it’s a one-year contract.

The one thing worth noting about retaining salary, as we approach the deadline, is that the Leafs have now retained on the contracts of Carl Gunnarsson and Daniel Winnik this season, meaning they can only retain salary on one other contract.

Zach Sill is just a depth forward whose contract expires at year’s end, as the the Penguins wanted to offload a contract in the deal, but for those curious:

[quote_box_center]Zach Sill Scouting Report
Assets: Excels at banging bodies, agitating the opposition and in defensive situations. His lower-body strength is a plus in the corners of the ice. Can play either center or wing.
Flaws: Doesn’t have much offensive ability and isn’t much of a scorer. Must always try to play on the edge (and not over it) in order to be very useful at the highest level.
Career Potential: Agitating, aggressive, versatile forward.[/quote_box_center]

While a consistent performer and a really likeable role player in his time here (and a nice playoff add for the Penguins), it’s hard to complain about netting a 2nd and a 4th for a depth forward like Winnik. Consider the returns on Tlusty and Bergenheim; while higher cap hits in both cases, they were expiring deals like Winnik and both have better track records offensively.  Carolina fetched a 3rd and a 6th for Tlusty, Florida a 3rd for Bergeinheim plus a 7th.

Taking on Sill’s contract for the remainder of the season and the retained salary are just smart little business manoeuvres the Leafs can easily afford. They’ve added a few mid-level picks into the cupboards and get worse in the short term in the process, so mission accomplished here.

 


Daniel Winnik talks about the trade on the Bryan Hayes Show:

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