There was a massive trade in the NHL on Sunday. Days ahead of the NHL trade deadline the landscape of the league has changed and it’s included two former Toronto Maple Leafs.
Pierre LeBrun announced via Twitter that the New Jersey Devils have acquired who is believed to be the biggest trade bait player on the market this season, Timo Meier. While the Leafs would have liked to have seen him head to Toronto, they’ll just have to be satisfied that Meier isn’t going to be playing for their first-round opponent.
Meier isn’t the only player that the San Jose Sharks are sending to New Jersey. He’ll be joined by the former Leaf, Scott Harrington.
Some Toronto fans may be scratching their heads trying to remember the time that the now 29-year-old defenseman played for the Buds. If you blinked, you may have missed him.
Harrington was a part of the 2015 summer transaction that sent Phil Kessel to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kessel was packaged with Tyler Biggs, Tim Erixon and a second-round pick. In exchange, the Maple Leafs welcomed Harrington along with Kasperi Kapanen, Nick Spalin, a first, and third-round draft pick.
Harrington was 22 at the time and ready to begin his sophomore season in the NHL. Unfortunately, he didn’t play much that year. The Kingston, Ontario native played in just 15 games for the Leafs where he averaged 13:06 of ice time. He took nine shots on goal and recorded just one assist over that span.
Needless to say, Harrington’s time with the Maple Leafs was forgettable. It wasn’t until the following offseason that Harrington found a long-term home. That’s when the Leafs traded him along with future considerations to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Kerby Rychel.
In 2018, the Leafs flipped Rychel along with Rinat Valiev and a second-round draft choice to the Montreal Canadiens for Tomas Plekanec and Kyle Baun.
Harrington, meanwhile, remained in Columbus. He’s been there up until this recent move to the Devils. The 6’2″, 204 lbs blue liner has been in and out of the Blue Jackets lineup over the course of his stay there. While he managed to play 73 games during the 2018-19 season, his next highest total of games played is 39.
This suggests that Harrington’s not likely to log big minutes in New Jersey. He may just be a casualty of Columbus trying to create roster space or the Devils wanted a seventh defender heading into the postseason.
Harrington is now in his ninth year in the NHL. For his career, he’s recorded 8 goals and 37 assists for a sum of 45 points. He’s done that through 238 games.
Hopefully, for Harrington, he’s able to find a suitable role in New Jersey and contribute to a team hoping to go deep into the playoffs.
The other traded former Maple Leaf
The Devils weren’t the only team who are gaining a former Maple Leaf. Going the other way in the Meier transaction is Leafs’ alumni, Andreas Johnsson. He’s now a part of the Sharks organization.
Johnsson was a valuable part of the Leafs for a short time while he played there. In fact, he was a 20-goal scorer for the 2018-19 campaign. That season, in 73 games, he registered 20 goals and 23 assists.
Johnsson was also instrumental in winning games for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL. His best run was in the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs. In 16 games, he potted 10 goals and added 14 helpers.
In October of 2020, the Maple Leafs shipped Johnsson to the Devils for Joey Anderson. Johnsson has now been with New Jerseys for three seasons. In that time, he averaged 14:02 minutes per game.
Johnsson has played 123 contests for the Devils and racked up 18 goals and 28 assists for a total of 46 points. Johnsson appeared to be headed for big things but that didn’t manage to materialize.
This season, Johnsson only dressed for two NHL games. He’s spent the rest of the year with AHL’s Utica Comets. With them, he’s scored 9 goals and 20 assists in 36 games. It remains to be seen whether Johnsson will be asked to report to the Sharks or whether he’ll be sent to the San Jose Barracuda.
While Johnsson and Harrington’s exchange isn’t making waves across the NHL, they are part of a deal that is. Meier’s trade is enormous and will always be connected to the former Maple Leafs.