Maple Leafs acquire Michael Grabner for a host of prospects

Reports are coming out that the Leafs have made a huge trade for the Islanders Michael Grabner.

#Isles acquire Taylor Beck, Matt Finn, Christopher Gibson, Tom Nilsson and Carter Verhaeghe from the #Leafs in exchange for Michael Grabner.

— Dhiren Mahiban (@dcmahiban) September 17, 2015

Grabner is a 27-year-old winger drafted by the Canucks in 2006. Last season he was sidelined with multiple injuries, playing only 34 games, and did not participate in most of the Islanders' playoff run. His career best was 2010-11 where he had 34 goals and 18 assists in 76 games.

So how good were the prospects we gave up? Four of the five were ranked in this year's PPP Top 25 Under 25.

Tom Nilsson was ranked 17th last year, but this year he was unranked. Christopher Gibson was ranked 25th in this year's edition, and Matt Finn was just ahead of him at 24th. Carter Verhaeghe was ranked 20th which was a drop from 11th, and the recently acquired Taylor Beck was ranked 17th.

Last season, Grabner's 1.12 goals per 60 minutes (G/60) was a team-high alongside Anders Lee, despite registering just eight goals. Since 2010, Grabner sits 10th in the NHL in G/60 at 1.10, ahead of Phil Kessel (0.99).

Grabner, one of the fastest players in the NHL, was examined by our colleagues at Lighthouse Hockey. Here's an excerpt on what makes him an interesting player:

Michael Grabner has one of the most tantalizing tool sets in the NHL. Watching him makes you think he's capable of so much that others aren't. Much of what he does well doesn't translate directly to goals, but he's been given defensive assignments forever and a constantly rotating set of linemates for the last few seasons. Any season ruined by injuries never helps anybody. - The Grabner File: Breaking down the Islanders breakaway machine before he (maybe) flies the coop

We will update with more details as they come in.

What are your thoughts on this trade?