Saturday afternoon was a fairly busy one for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They were one of the few teams who made a trade before the 3 pm trade freeze deadline.
All NHL teams had until 3 pm eastern time to make any trades before rosters have to be frozen for the NHL expansion draft. The Toronto Maple Leafs upgraded their forward group by acquiring Jared McCann.
Many thought that the Leafs would trade Alex Kerfoot, but it looks like the team has decided to keep him. There is still a chance that the team will protect him for the expansion draft, but chances are he will be left unprotected.
If he is left unprotected, there is a good chance he will be the Toronto player selected by the Kraken. It will all depend on whether or not the Leafs protect seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender, or eight skaters and a goaltender.
Toronto Maple Leafs Trade For Jared McCann
Just like on NHL trade deadline day, trades still get announced after the deadline has passed. At 3:10 pm on Saturday, hockey insider Elliotte Friedman announced that the Toronto Maple Leafs had made a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins for Jared McCann.
At 3:40 pm, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced the full trade. The official deal is Jared McCann to Toronto for Filip Hallander and a 2023 7th round pick.
TRADE: We’ve acquired forward Jared McCann from Pittsburgh in exchange for forward Filip Hållander and a 2023 seventh-round selection. #LeafsForever
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 17, 2021
McCann recorded 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points in 43 games last season. During the 2019-20 season, McCann recorded 35 points in 66 games. The ideal spot for McCann in the Leafs lineup would be as the team’s third-line center, but he also plays some wing and like Kerfoot is a versatile player. (stats from hockeyreference.com).
McCann is still only 25 years old, with one year remaining on his current deal with a cap hit of $2.94 million. He will become a restricted free agent (RFA) after this season, so Toronto could have him for many years to come.
Toronto Maple Leafs Also Added Another Assistant Coach
The McCann trade was not the only move the Toronto Maple Leafs made on Saturday. At 4:45 pm, the team announced that they hired Spencer Carbery as an assistant coach. Carbery is the second assistant coach the Leafs have hired this off-season.
Spencer Carbery is joining the team as an assistant coach. #LeafsForever
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 17, 2021
Carbery was the 2021 AHL Coach of the Year in his third year with the Hershey Bears. He coached the Bears to a 24-7-2-0 record and finished first in the North Divison. Over the three seasons that Carbery was with the Bears, he coached them to a 104-50-7-8 record.
Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Sign Joseph Woll
Earlier in the day, the Leafs announced that they re-signed minor league goaltender Joseph Woll to a one-year, two-way deal. The new deal is worth $750,000, which is just slightly less than the $800,000 he earned on his last deal.
Joseph Woll has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension. #LeafsForever
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 17, 2021
Woll will most likely be the starting goaltender for the Toronto Marlies this season in the AHL. He will be given every opportunity to succeed during a full AHL season.
The good news for the Toronto Maple Leafs is that after this season, Woll will be an RFA. If he does well, he could be signed long-term and promoted to the NHL to play full-time with the Maple Leafs.