The long-awaited deal is finally official after it received the stamp of approval from the league. Bryan McCabe and a 4th round pick have been sent to the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Mike Van Ryn.
The deal is a case of taking care of unfinished business for Cliff Fletcher who's taken his next measure in doing away with the leadership core that has failed the organization in its post-lockout years. Fletcher has been able to turn a long-term salary cap burden into a cheaper, younger and more movable asset at the price of a 4th round pick. That's not a bad bit of business for my money.
I may be in the minority, but factor in the fact that Jacques Martin held all the leverage in negotiations and I think Fletcher did quite well here. Van Ryn is no slouch and I believe he's been heavily underrated by armchair GMs across the web-o-sphere.
A parting of ways seemed apposite for both sides at this point, with the Leafs looking to manifest a new identity and McCabe in desperate need of a change of scenery to try to re-align a career in limbo.
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The team's 5:41pm press release:
Leafs Acquire Mike Van Ryn
Toronto Maple Leafs
Sep 2, 2008, 5:41 PM EDT
Cliff Fletcher, general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Tuesday that the team has traded defenceman Bryan McCabe and their fourth-round draft selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft to the Florida Panthers. In exchange, the Maple Leafs receive veteran defenceman Mike Van Ryn.
Van Ryn, 29, completed his seventh NHL season and fourth with Florida in 2007-08. A wrist injury in November and the subsequent surgery sidelined him for the final 60 games last season. The native of London, Ontario recorded two points (both assists) in 20 contests in 2007-08. He turned professional after signing as a free agent by St. Louis on June 30, 2000 and he was later traded to Florida on March 11, 2003 for Valeri Bure and Florida’s fifth-round choice (Nikita Nikitin) in the 2004 Entry Draft. Van Ryn set career-highs in goals (13), points (37-tie) and powerplay goals (six) in his first season with the Panthers in 2003-04. Internationally, he represented Canada at the World Junior Championships in 1998 and 1999 and he was a member of the University of Michigan’s 1998 NCAA National Championship team.
Last season with Toronto, McCabe recorded five goals and 18 assists in 54 games with 81 penalty minutes. McCabe, 33 ranks sixth on the club’s all-time scoring list among team defencemen with 297 points by virtue of his 83 goals and 214 assists. He is tied for 33rd on the Leafs’ all-time scoring list and he sits in 32nd spot on the team’s all-time games played list with 523 games.
In 917 career NHL games with the Islanders, Canucks, Blackhawks and Maple Leafs he has 115 goals and 303 assists for 418 points with 1,574 minutes in penalties.
McCabe was originally acquired by Toronto from Chicago in exchange for Alexander Karpovtsev and the Leafs’ fourth-round draft choice (Vladimir Gusev) in the 2001 Entry Draft. He was the New York Islanders’ second choice, 40th overall, in the 1993 Entry Draft.
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