TORONTO (Aug. 31) -- Though the parameters of a trade that will send Bryan McCabe to Florida have been in place for more than two weeks -- and though McCabe will be paid a $2 million US bonus by the Maple Leafs tomorrow (Sep. 1) -- no announcement of the deal is forthcoming on Labour Day. The transaction that will bring defenseman Mike Van Ryn to Toronto has long been finalized between the respective general managers -- Cliff Fletcher of the Leafs and Jacques Martin of the Panthers. A prominent hockey agent also confirmed it to me over the weekend. But, until Fletcher receives an official rubber stamp in writing, he will not be in a position to go public with the details.

Both Martin and McCabe are technically capable of scuttling the trade. The Florida GM is assuming a massive $5.75 million salary-cap hit by acquiring McCabe, and could decide that he wants to expand the deal. Fletcher, however, isn't anxious to take back more salary, and he strongly favours the one-for-one swap. McCabe, of course, can exercise his no-movement clause any time before the deal is registered with the NHL office. But, the Leafs are not expecting a last-minute hiccup, and Fletcher will more than likely announce the trade on Tuesday.

Though the New York Islanders have often been considered a logical destination for McCabe -- his wife, Roberta, is from Long Island and the couple [and two kids] spend their summers in New York -- two factors make a move to the Panthers appealing. First, Bryan's in-laws have a winter home in south Florida and are there throughout the bulk of the NHL season. And, second, former Leaf Wade Belak [dealt to the Panthers at the trade deadline last February] has grown very close to McCabe. In fact, the McCabes and Belaks are tight as families, having lived on the same street in Toronto the past couple of years. Next to Darcy Tucker -- now with Colorado -- Belak was McCabe's best friend on the Leafs of last season.

McCabe joins a young, promising Florida squad with an outside chance to make the playoffs in 2008-09. Van Ryn comes to a Toronto club devoid of anything that even resembles a front-line NHL skater, but a team finally positioning itself to improve via the draft, and one that could be a strong playoff contender in two or three years.

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