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Leafs Acquire Andersen From Anaheim, Signed To Five-Year Deal

June 20, 2016, 5:20 PM ET [1441 Comments]
Mike Augello
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Toronto Maple Leafs have their future starting goaltender, acquiring Frederik Andersen from the Anaheim Ducks for the 30th overall pick in 2016 NHL Draft and a second rounder in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Immediately following the trade, the Leafs have signed Andersen to a five-year contract extension. According to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston, the AAV on the new deal is $5 Million and was contingent on the goalie reaching a contract extension with Toronto

The 26-year-old Andersen posted a 22-9-7 record with a 2.30 GAA and .919 save percentage in 43 games last season with the Ducks and went 3-2 with a 1.41 GAA and .947 SV% in five playoff starts for Anaheim, who lost in the first round to Nashville, after leading the Ducks to Game 7 of the Western Conference Final in 2015.



The Herning, Denmark native made the majority of the starts(54) for Anaheim two seasons ago and split time (43 games )with goalie John Gibson last season. Gibson was signed to a three-year contract extension last summer, which made Andersen (a pending restricted free agent) expendable.

"(Andersen) has to know that he's our No. 1 goaltender." Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello said after the deal was announced. "Acquiring him was the most important thing, the price was secondary."

The trade included the first round pick acquired from Pittsburgh in the Phil Kessel deal last July and one of three second round picks (Toronto, Ottawa and San Jose) the Leafs have in the 2017 NHL Draft, which is a higher than expected price for what many expect to be a market filled with available goaltenders with the expected announcement of expansion team to Las Vegas later this week.

Teams will only be able to protect one netminder in an expansion draft next summer.

This is a road well travelled for Lamoriello, who knows the importance of having a difference maker in goal. During most of his tenure in New Jersey, the Devils had Martin Brodeur as their backstop.

When the future Hall of Famer began to fade, Lamoriello traded the Devils first round pick on the draft floor in Newark to Vancouver for Corey Schnieder.

Jonathan Bernier has another year left at $4.15 Million and the trade makes his status tenuous next season. Bernier could end up a very expensive backup or possibly be traded or bought out this summer.

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The Leafs announced on Monday that their annual development camp will take place from July 4-9 in Toronto and Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The team will hold an inter-squad scrimmage on Friday, July 8 at 10 a.m. at the Gale Centre Arena in Niagara Falls, which will be open to the public. Admission is free but non-perishable donations to the Project SHARE food bank are encouraged.

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Listen to myself and CTV's Norman James on "The Convo", as we discuss to the Frederik Andersen deal and the latest news leading up to the NHL Draft:



....and when you are done with that, listen to myself and the guys from the Blue and White Tonight podcast discussing......you guessed it....the Leafs:




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