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The Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks Trade History

By Kyle Cushman

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Frederik Andersen #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs tends the net against the Florida Panthers during the second period at BB&T Center on February 27, 2020 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Frederik Andersen #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs tends the net against the Florida Panthers during the second period at BB&T Center on February 27, 2020 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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The First Trade

Date: September 28, 1994

Leafs Acquire: Terry Yake

Mighty Ducks Acquire: David Sacco

Toronto didn’t make their first trade with the Ducks franchise until their inaugural season was finished. When they finally did make that first deal, it was one of some significant substance.

Anaheim GM Jack Ferreira was in the midst of shipping out a bulk of the original Mighty Ducks in favour of a younger roster, and the Leafs looked to take advantage of this by acquiring their leading scorer Terry Yake.

Yake, 25 at the time of the trade, was coming off of a 52 point season with the Mighty Ducks, his second consecutive 20 goal campaign.

Being sent the other way was prospect Dave Sacco, also 25. Sacco had played just nine games in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization after a trip to the 1994 Olympics with the American squad.

He had torn up college hockey with Boston University, scoring the second-most points in program history before joining the Leafs system.

Dave’s older brother Joe had already been claimed by the Mighty Ducks in the expansion draft from Toronto the year prior, where he had a solid 37 points in 84 games.

Both players proceeded to flop in their new destinations. Yake played a disappointing 19 games in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, scoring just five points and was loaned to the IHL before leaving as a free agent in 1996.

Sacco primarily played in the IHL in the 1994/95 season, making a brief appearance with the NHL club. The following season he made the Mighty Ducks in a partial capacity, playing 23 games and scoring 14 points before finding himself back in the AHL.

Sacco was out of hockey entirely by 1998, while Yake resurrected his NHL career in 1997 with St. Louis before going on to an eight-year career in Germany and Switzerland.

What was a promising first trade between these two franchises turned out to bust for both, but this next trade certainly looks to be paying dividends for both teams both now, and in the coming seasons.

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