The Toronto Maple Leafs made a minor deal with the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night. This trade was a combination of NHL and AHL contracted players so it was announced by both the Leafs and the Marlies.

To Toronto:
Max Veronneau (NHL contract), Trent Bourque (AHL contract)

To Ottawa:
Aaron Luchuk (NHL contract), Darren Archibald (AHL contract), 2021 sixth round pick*

*The pick comes with a condition laid out by Chris Johnston below. It requires that Veronneau play in 10 NHL games this season (the Leafs have 21 games left in their schedule) AND for Veronneau, an RFA, re-signs to an NHL deal next season (the Leafs have 27/50 contracts signed for next season).

Scouting Reports for Ottawa

Aaron Luchuk (left centre)

Luchuk, 22, is going back to the Senators organization after scoring 49 points in 44 games in the ECHL. This is a big loss for the Newfoundland Growlers, who were using him as a scoring centre (he’d been playing left wing recently).

Luchuk was definitely better than the ECHL all season, but the Marlies refused to call him up for more than four games before the trade, especially when they needed scoring help due to the injuries and call-ups to the Leafs.

Luchuk signed a free agent contract out of the OHL with the Senators and played a combined 59 games for the ECHL and AHL affiliates in their organization. He was sent to Toronto along with Ben Harpur and a third round pick in in the Cody Ceci for Nikita Zaitsev trade. Ottawa also got Connor Brown and Michael Carcone in the trade.

Darren Archibald (left wing)

Archbald recently celebrated his 30th birthday and was in his first season with the Marlies after signing an AHL deal in the summer. Archibald was known as a goon in the AHL, but he played a really clean 34 games for the Marlies (1 fight, 3 minors). I respect that. He played up and down the lineup and was a really good vet for the team. He will be a good vet for the B-Sens for their playoff run.

Scouting Reports for Toronto

Max Veronneau (right wing)

Veronneau, 24, has been struggling in the AHL with the B-Sens, with only 5 goals and 10 points in 33 games so far. He hasn’t played since January 15th and has since been mentioned by Elliotte Friedman in his 31 Thoughts blog as someone who could be on the move. Lo and behold.

After reading articles and comments from our friendenemies over at Silver Seven Sens, Veronneau seems to be a forgotten prospect for the Senators. He’s been passed in the depth chart by a lot of younger players and hasn’t been able to get into what should be a deep playoff roster.

I highly doubt the Leafs are going to have to give up this pick. Veronneau seems to be a recovery project (only two years out of college) aimed to fill-in for the loss of Mason Marchment. Combining this and the Malgin trade, it seems increasingly likely that the Marlies are going to mail in the last 24 games of the season.

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Mid-Season Report Cards: Forwards

Trent Bourque (left defense)

The Marlies have taken Joseph Duszak, Mac Hollowell, and Michael Kapla from the Growlers this season and don’t look poised to give them back in the short term. The Growlers just added an ECHL defender today, but Bourque, 21, will be a good addition for them on the left side as the right is pretty full right now.

Bourque has played five games for the Sens, getting an assist in that time. He has three goals and 20 points in 42 ECHL games as a defenseman. Bourque was a 2017 sixth round pick of the St. Louis Blues but wasn’t signed out of the OHL.

His uncle was the former coach of the Leafs Dan Maloney, and he’s originally from Burlington.

Toronto MarliesNewfoundland GrowlersMaple Leafs Trades