In what had become one of the longest running soap operas in hockey, Tomas Kaberle was finally dealt to the Boston Bruins for 20-year-old centre Joe Colborne, Boston's first pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional draft choice.
The Maple Leafs will receive Boston's second pick in the 2012 draft if the Bruins re-sign Kaberle, an unrestricted free agent this summer, or make it to the Stanley Cup final this season. Colborne will report to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.
The holdup in the anticipated move was the Bruins figuring out how they could fit Kaberle and his $4.25 million contract in under its salary cap. To make room for Kaberle, the Bruins sent right winger Blake Wheeler and defenceman Mark Stuart to the Atlanta Thrashers for centre Rich Peverly and defenceman Boris Valabik.
Kaberle, 32, finally agreed to waive his no-movement clause, allowing the Maple Leafs to trade him to Boston. It had been reported Boston was the only team that interested the native of the Czech Republic. Although he had long maintained he wanted to remain in Toronto, he did tell Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, "It was just time to move on."
Kaberle, who has slowed down a touch in the past few seasons, has three goals and 38 points in 58 games with Toronto this season. In his NHL career, all spent with the Maple Leafs, he has 83 goals and 520 points. The Bruins hope he will help its power play which currently sits at a respectable 14th in the league.
Interestingly, the moves come as the Maple Leafs are making its annual run at just falling short of making the playoffs. Toronto is 6-3-1 in its last 10 games and going in to Saturday night against Ottawa has won two in a row. Given the fact the Leafs have not played in the post-season since 2003-04, missing for one more year at the expense of getting high draft picks and quality youngsters in the organization is worth the risk.
This is what Burke should have done upon his arrival in Toronto: built through the draft. The Leafs would have been much better off taking centre Tyler Seguin with its own first round pick last June, but that is water under the bridge. At least Burke is making amends for his blunders.
In fact, under the circumstances, he has done quite well with his recent moves.
Burke has been busy the past few weeks and most of his deals were made with an eye to the future. It appears as though he has once and for all given up on the quick-fix strategy. Burke, in his third year as president and GM of the Leafs, hoped the acquisitions of defencemen Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin and Dion Phaneuf along with goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, young sniper Phil Kessel and fellow forward Kris Versteeg would transform his Maple Leafs into instant contenders. He could not have been more wrong.
Aside from the deal that brought journeyman right winger Aaron Voros to Toronto for a conditional draft pick, Burke acquired 2011 first and third round picks from the Philadelphia Flyers for Kris Versteeg and also got veteran centre Joffrey Lupul and defenceman Jake Gardiner from Anaheim for veteran blueliner Beauchemin. Gardiner was the Ducks first pick (17th overall) in 2008. Colborne was Boston's first pick (16th overall) also in 2008. It should be noted that 6-foot-5, 217-pound defenceman Keith Aulie, who came to Toronto from Calgary in the Phaneuf trade, also shows great promise as a 21-year-old.
Suddenly Burke's Leafs have what they didn't as early as a few weeks ago - hope! The recent transactions put the Leafs in an improved position to be better a year from now than they have been at this stage of the season in recent memory. They went from the embarrassment of possibly giving the Bruins back-to-back lottery picks to now having two first-round picks of their own; late picks, albeit, but first round picks nonetheless. And they have kids in Aulie, Colborne and Gardiner who are considered very good prospects; players who are arguably further along the development curve than many of their peers.
The cupboard doesn't look nearly as empty now.
