Report: Maple Leafs Trade Rasmus Sandin to Capitals for Erik Gustafsson and First-Round Draft Pick
Sandin #Sandin
The Toronto Maple Leafs added some draft capital one day after a major trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.
SEATTLE — Kyle Dubas continues to be busy.
One day after pulling off a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks that saw defenseman Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty become Toronto Maple Leafs, the club’s general manager pulled off another move on Tuesday.
The Maple Leafs have reportedly traded defenseman Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals in exchange for defenseman Erik Gustafsson and Boston’s first-round draft pick.
Sandin took part in practice on Tuesday but was pulled off the ice, according to TSN’s Mark Masters.
Sandin has four goals and 16 assists in 52 games with the Maple Leafs this season. He signed a two-year, $2.8 million contract with the club this past summer. He returned to the lineup on Sunday after missing the previous three games with an upper-body injury.
Gustafsson will be familiar to Leafs fans. He recorded his first three goals of the season, a hat trick, against the Toronto Maple Leafs in December.
The 30-year-old Gustafsson has seven goals and 31 assists in 61 games with the Capitals this season. He carries an $800,000 cap hit and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Breaking down the move
The Capitals get a young defenseman with term in Sandin. A first-round draft pick of the Leafs in 2018, Washington gets some control with Sandin.
The Leafs get a depth defenseman who can help. They save $600,000 in cap space with the move. With Matt Murray projected to come off long-term injured reserve this week, the Leafs have made it slightly easier to activate him with this move. According to PuckPedia.com, after sending down goaltender Joseph Woll, they’d still need to open up $471,000 in cap space.
To be updated…