The only Leafs related news on a Wednesday with wilting temperatures in Western New York was the signing of forward Nick Spaling with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss League.
The 27-year-old forward went from relative stability (playing five seasons with the Nashville Predators) to being traded in two consecutive off-seasons for James Neal and Phil Kessel, before being dealt by Toronto along with defenseman Roman Polak for a pair of second round picks.
If you take a look at the Maple Leafs roster at the start of the 2014-15 season, only eight players who played significant time that season in Toronto (James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri, Morgan Rielly, Leo Komarov, Peter Holland, Jake Gardiner and Joffrey Lupul) will be entering the third training camp in the Brendan Shanahan era.
Defenseman Roman Polak was re-signed after reaching the Stanley Cup Final with San Jose and Stephane Robidas is in a perpetual state of limbo with a year left on his three-year deal, so the total number goes up to 10 if you want to include them.
Just to illustrate how extensive the changeover has been within the Leafs organization, I’ve tracked 47 players no longer in the organization and where they've ended up. While some are playing effectively with other NHL teams, it is eye-opening to see how many are unsigned, retired, playing in the AHL or in Europe:
Forwards(30)
Phil Kessel – Toronto ----> Pittsburgh(NHL)
Mike Santorelli - Toronto ----> Nashville(NHL) ----> Anaheim(NHL)----> Geneve-Servette(Swiss)
Daniel Winnik – Toronto ----> Pittsburgh ----> Toronto ----> Washington(NHL)
Richard Panik – Toronto ----> Chicago(NHL)
David Clarkson – Toronto ----> Columbus(NHL)
David Booth – Toronto ----> Vladivostok(KHL)
Trevor Smith – Toronto ----> Bern(Swiss) ----> Nashville(NHL)
Brandon Kozun - Toronto ----> Jokerit(KHL)
Joakim Lindstrom – Toronto ----> SKA St. Petersburg(KHL)
Sam Carrick – Toronto(NHL/AHL) ----> Chicago(NHL)
Casey Bailey – Toronto(NHL/AHL) ----> Binghamton(AHL)
Olli Jokinen – Toronto ----> St Louis(NHL) ----> Retirement
Zach Sill – Toronto ----> Washington(NHL/Hershey(AHL)
Greg McKegg – Toronto(NHL/AHL) ----> Florida(NHL)/Portland(AHL)
Ryan Rupert – Toronto(AHL) ----> Binghamton(AHL)
Spencer Abbott – Toronto(AHL) ----> Rockford(AHL) ----> Frolunda(SHL) ----> Rockford(AHL)
Carter Ashton – Toronto(NHL/AHL) ----> Syracuse(AHL) ----> Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod(KHL)
Brad Ross – Toronto(AHL)/Orlando(ECHL) ----> Iserlohn(DEL)
Tyler Biggs – Toronto(AHL) ----> Wilkes-Barre/Scranton(AHL)/Wheeling(ECHL)
Jamie Devane – Toronto(AHL) ----> Milwaukee(AHL)
Frazer McLaren – Toronto(AHL) ----> San Jose(AHL)
David Broll – Toronto(AHL) ----> Syracuse(AHL)
P. A. Parenteau – Toronto ----> NY Islanders(NHL)
Brad Boyes – Toronto ----> Unsigned Free Agent/Retired?
Michael Grabner – Toronto ----> NY Rangers(NHL)
Shawn Matthias – Toronto ----> Colorado(NHL) ----> Winnipeg(NHL)
Nick Spaling – Toronto ----> San Jose(NHL) ----> Geneve-Servette(Swiss)
Ben Smith – Toronto(NHL/AHL) ----> Unsigned Free Agent
Mark Arcobello – Toronto(NHL/AHL) ----> Bern(Swiss)
Jeremy Morin – Toronto(AHL) ----> San Jose(AHL) ----> Unsigned Free Agent
Defensemen(13)
Cody Franson – Toronto ---->Nashville(NHL) ----> Buffalo(NHL)
Dion Phaneuf – Toronto ----> Ottawa(NHL)
Korbinian Holzer – Toronto ----> Anaheim(NHL)
Eric Brewer – Toronto ----> Unsigned Free Agent/Retirement
Stuart Percy – Toronto(NHL/AHL) ----> Pittsburgh(NHL)
Andrew MacWilliam – Toronto(NHL/AHL) ----> Manitoba(AHL)
Tim Erixon – Toronto ----> Wilkes-Barre/Scranton(AHL)
TJ Brennan – Toronto(NHL/AHL) ----> Philadelphia (NHL)
Petter Granberg – Toronto(NHL/AHL) ----> Nashville(NHL)
Kevin Marshall – Toronto(AHL) ----> Rogle BK(SHL)
Tom Nilsson – Toronto(AHL) ----> Frolunda(SHL) ----> Vancouver(NHL)
Matt Finn – Toronto(AHL) ----> Bridgeport(AHL/Missouri(ECHL)
Scott Harrington – Toronto(NHL/AHL) ----> Columbus(NHL)
Goaltenders(4)
Jonathan Bernier – Toronto ----> Anaheim(NHL)
James Reimer – Toronto ----> San Jose(NHL) ----> Florida (NHL)
Christopher Gibson – Toronto ----> New York(NHL)/Bridgeport(AHL)
Ray Emery – Toronto(AHL) ----> Philadelphia(NHL)
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