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Following the addition of center Brian Boyle, the Toronto Maple Leafs made another trade on NHL Deadline Day, swapping defenseman Frank Corrado to the Pittsburgh Penguins for veteran forward Eric Fehr, minor leaguer Steven Oleksy and a 2017 fourth round pick.
The Penguins needed to clear out Fehr’s $2 Million salary to add defenseman Mark Streit and with significant cap room available, while Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello made a deal more along the lines of those made at the deadline one year ago, taking on a salary to add a draft pick.
“We did not want to make any transactions that would get in the way of the development of our players.… Lamoriello said on Wednesday. “The players that we added are role players that will be in a fourth line situation that could move up if necessary.…
Corrado and Oleksy reported to each club’s AHL affiliates, while the 31-year-old Fehr, who won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh last season, joined his new club in Southern California on Thursday, but will not be in the lineup against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center.
‘(Fehr) is a real good pro, I’ve known him for a long time. He’s won the Stanley Cup, he’s a good man. He can penalty kill, he’ll do whatever you need (to get) done.… Babcock said about the veteran winger. “He’s here to be a good influence in the room, be a good pro and ideally some of his habits wear off on our guys.…
Almost as important as the example that Boyle and Fehr set, is the Leafs putting themselves in a better position for the Expansion Draft and NHL Draft in June.
Trevor Moore gets things started for the @TorontoMarlies this morning. #BRIvsTOR pic.twitter.com/9jlwUr3MDm
— AHL (@TheAHL) March 2, 2017
Toronto needs to expose two forwards and one defenseman under contract who played 40 games this year or 70 combined games over last and this season.
Both Alexey Marchenko and Martin Marincin fulfill those requirements on the blueline, but the Leafs were without players who they could afford to lose that met that criteria.
Fehr played 52 games with the Penguins and was a 2003 first round pick of Vegas GM George McPhee in Washington. Ben Smith is one game shy of 40 games this season and if Toronto re-signs the forward, he also qualifies to be exposed.
Lamoriello indicated after the deadline that the Leafs were not going to get off-track of the club’s long term goal and added a fourth round pick in the Fehr deal after trading a second-round pick to get Boyle earlier in the week.
Toronto hopes to snap a three-game losing streak against the Kings, who acquired potential Hall-of-Famer Jarome Iginla from Colorado on Wednesday.
Iginla will play on LA’s top line with Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik and Jonathan Quick will make his third start after returning from a lengthy stint on injured reserve with a groin injury.
Babcock once again toyed with his defensive pairings at the morning skate, as Alexey Marchenko was paired with Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner skated with Nikita Zaitsev, while Nikita Soshnikov replaced Josh Leivo on the fourth line with Matt Martin and Boyle.
Frederik Andersen, who made 34 saves in a 3-1 loss to San Jose on Tuesday, will be between the pipes for Toronto. That likely means that former Ducks goalie will not play on Friday in Anaheim.
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