It may be premature to call the Toronto Maple Leafs the winner of the deal made less than two months ago, but the swap sending pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli to the Nashville Predators for their 2015 1st round pick, 20-year-old forward prospect Brendan Leipsic and veteran Olli Jokinen has not had the desired effect for the Preds.
Franson had 32 points(6 goals and 26 assists) in 55 games with Toronto, averaging over 21 minutes on the top pairing with Dion Phaneuf and was second to Phil Kessel in power play points at the time of the trade.
Since joining Nashville, the 27-year-old blueliner has just four points(1 goal and 3 assists) in 23 games, playing bottom pairing minutes(15:25 TOI) and has just two power play points as the Preds do not utilize Franson’s quick shot with Shea Weber, Roman Josi, Seth Jones and Ryan Ellis on their club.
Santorelli was extremely effective as two-way forward for Toronto with 29 points in 57 games, but has not provided the scoring depth that Nashville GM David Poile was looking for, with just one goal in 22 games.
Both former Leafs were scratched on Wednesday for Game 1 of the first round series against the Chicago Blackhawks(Franson due to an upper body injury and Santorelli as a healthy scratch), in which Nashville blew a 3-0 first period lead and lost 4-3 on Duncan Keith’s game winner in double overtime.
For all the things that former GM Dave Nonis did wrong, this deal was one he got right. If the Predators make an early exit from the playoffs, the Leafs could be selecting in the low 20’s with Nashville’s pick in a first round deep in talent.
The Leafs were able to flip veteran Jokinen to St. Louis for a 2016 6th rounder and Leipsic appears to be a forward who could eventually have an impact in the NHL.
The 5’10… 177 lb native of Winnipeg, MB scored 211 points and 214 penalty minutes in his final two years with the WHL's Portland Winterhawks and is known for possessing a high skill set and an uncanny ability to get underneath the skin of the opposition.
The 20-year-old was fifth in AHL rookie scoring at the time of the trade but struggled in March with one assist in 11 games for the Toronto Marlies, before bouncing back in April with 10 points in seven games and earning AHL Player of the Week honors.
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The Marlies can clinch the final AHL Western Conference playoff spot with a victory over the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday night. Toronto’s 5-2 victory over Iowa on Tuesday gave the Leafs AHL affiliate their fourth straight win and 83 points with three games remaining.
Toronto leads ninth place Hamilton by three points and Milwaukee by four with a game in hand.
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Playoff Predictions – Part II
The other four first round Stanley Cup Playoff matchups begin tonight and here are my predictions:
Tampa Bay vs Detroit
The Lightning finished just two points behind Montreal for the Atlantic Division title and are looking to make a deep run in the playoffs after injuries to Steven Stamkos and Ben Bishop derailed those hopes last year. Tampa could be the fastest team in the league and scored more goals than any other playoff club(262 goals), with two dangerous scoring lines centered by Stamkos and Tyler Johnson.
GM Steve Yzerman added experience in the offseason (Brian Boyle, Brendan Morrow and Anton Stralman) and at the deadline(Braydon Coburn). The only area of concern were late season injuries to the blueline, but veterans Coburn and Jason Garrison are expected to suit up for Game 1.
The Red Wings have the firepower to stay with the Lightning, with veterans Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Niklas Kronwall and youngsters Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist and Justin Abdelkader, but defense and goaltending are their weak spots.
Detroit is thin on the blueline with Kronwall, Danny DeKeyser, Brendan Smith, Kyle Quincey, Jonathan Ericsson and veteran deadline addition Marek Zidlicky. Rookie Petr Mrazek starts Game 1 in goal because the Red Wings have finally discovered what many people have realized for years…..that Jimmy Howard is remarkably average.
Prediction: Lightning in 5
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Rangers vs Penguins
It’s tough to imagine a team with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as a significant underdog, but the two star centers cannot carry the Penguins on their backs all by themselves. Pittsburgh withstood a plethora of injuries this season, but the losses on their blueline had them holding onto a playoff spot by their fingernails.
Christian Ehrhoff is expected to return after missing the last three weeks of the regular season, but without Kris Letang and Olli Maatta, Pittsburgh will be relying more on Marc-Andre Fleury to step up and be a difference maker.
The Rangers are the consensus favorites to return to be the Eastern representative in the Stanley Cup Final and bolstered their blueline with the addition of Keith Yandle at the deadline. New York is healthy with Henrik Lundquist back and Rick Nash hopes to ride the momentum of a remarkable regular season into the post-season, after being a ghost for most of last year’s Cup run.
The Pens could put a little scare in the Rangers, but in the end their depth and defensive advantage will be the determining factor in the series.
Prediction: Rangers in 5
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St. Louis vs Minnesota
The Blues are a much deeper and healthier club than the one that lost to Chicago in the first round 12 months ago. The rise of Vladimir Tarasenko, with Finnish import Jori Lehtera and Jaden Schwartz gives St. Louis more scoring depth that takes some of the pressure off of David Backes, Alex Steen and TJ Oshie and their defense has Kevin Shattenkirk back after abdominal surgery sidelined him for two months.
The big question mark is in goal, as veteran Brian Elliott looked to be the starter in the playoffs but rookie Jake Allen played down the stretch and will be in goal for Game 1.
Minnesota struggled early in the year but found their stride around the All-Star Break after the acquisition of goalie Devan Dubnyk from Arizona, who went 27-9-2 in the second half. The Wild’s veteran core(Zach Parise, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter) can hang with the Blues.
The determining factor in the series in goal. If Allen can play well and give his team the big save when they need it, the Blues could come out of the West. If the rookie is average and coach Ken Hitchcock has to go back to Elliott, the Wild have a good chance to win the series.
Prediction: Wild in 7
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Anaheim vs Winnipeg
The Ducks are similar to the Blues, as they are strong up front with Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler, but have question marks in goal. Anaheim bolstered their blueline at the trade deadline with the addition of James Wisnewski, but Frederik Andersen starting in goal does not instill confidence, nor does head coach Bruce Boudreau’s playoff record.
The Jets showed a remarkable amount of character to make it to the post-season, fighting through numerous injuries and a four-game suspension to star defenseman Dustin Byfuglien in the final week. Goalie Ondrej Pavelec was a difference maker down the stretch and with Byfuglien back, their blueline including Tyler Myers, Jacob Trouba and Tobias Enstrom is deep, big and talented.
The key to the series is the matchup of the big bodied one-two punch of Getzlaf and Kesler up the middle against the smaller Bryan Little and 21-year-old Mark Scheifele. If that is a mismatch, it will be tough for the Jets to stay with the Ducks.
Prediction: Jets in 7
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