No. 3: Rasmus Sandin
- Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Erik Gustafsson, 2023 1st Round Pick
- Washington Capitals acquire: Rasmus Sandin
It’s hard to believe that Sandin’s time in Toronto is finally gone. It wasn’t that long ago that it felt like Timothy Liljegren and Sandin were going to be the face of the Leafs’ blue-line for the next decade.
However, Sandin’s been having a hard time staying in the line-up and after the McCabe trade, he felt like the odd-man out. So, instead of keeping him unhappy in Toronto, the team made a good decision trading him in exchange for Gustafsson and a first-round pick.
After trading multiple picks over the past few weeks, regaining a 2023 first-round pick is very important for Toronto. It not only gives them a great opportunity to draft a good prospect this year, but it gives them one more trade-chip if they want to make another move between now and the deadline.
Gustafsson gives the Leafs a different look on the blue-line as well, as he’s been having a fantastic year offensively. He’ll more than likely slot-in as the team’s No. 7 defenseman, but it doesn’t mean he won’t play meaningful hockey in April and beyond.
Depending on the opposition, or an injury, his offensive abilities from the blue-line could come in handy and you can never have too many legitimate NHL defensemen in the system.
Grade: B