Top 10 Best Trades in Toronto Maple Leafs History
#6. Former Top-Five Draft Picks Traded One-for-One
The trade:
- Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: James van Riemsdyk
- Philadelphia Flyers acquire: Luke Schenn
In terms of a one-for-one trade, you can’t fleece a team more than how the Toronto Maple Leafs conned the Philadelphia Flyers. Both players were in need of a change of scenery, and Toronto hit the jackpot with this deal.
Five years prior, James van Riemsdyk (JVR) got drafted second-overall, right behind Patrick Kane. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, he was a big-body forward who could score and looked like he’d transition easily to the NHL game. Although he had three good seasons to kick-start his career, the Philadelphia Flyers decided to move on from him in exchange for defense.
Similar to JVR, Luke Schenn had been drafted high (5th overall, 2008 NHL Entry Draft), but his play started to decline in the big hockey market of Toronto. Schenn was more of a defensive defenseman anyways, who relied upon his big body to hit and be a physical presence, but his game was unfortunately diminishing.
After the teams swapped the young players, JVR’s stock began to rise, while Schenn’s did the opposite. The Toronto Maple Leafs won this trade by a landslide as Schenn turned into a bottom-six defenseman, while JVR became a top-six forward.
Over his six campaigns in Toronto, JVR had four 20-goal seasons, including a career 36-goals scored in the 2017-18 season.