Yesterday the Toronto Maple Leafs, eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs weeks ago, became the biggest story in the hockey world when they traded winger Kasperi Kapanen, and others, to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Leafs get a haul from Pittsburgh for Kasperi Kapanen

Kapanen was a big part of the return the Maple Leafs got for trading Phil Kessel back in the summer of 2015. The team they acquired Kapanen from? The Pittsburgh Penguins.

Phil Kessel Traded
Kasperi Kapanen becomes Leafs third best prospect

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded away several players that day: Phil Kessel, Tyler Biggs, Tim Erixon, and a 2016 2nd round pick (Kasper Bjorkqvist). The Maple Leafs have never asked for any of these players back from the Penguins.

Phil Kessel was traded to the Arizona Coyotes for Alex Galchenyuk and Pierre-Oliver Joseph (and Galchenyuk is now with the Minnesota Wild, one of three pieces sent in exchange for Jason Zucker including the Penguins 2021 first round pick), Tyler Biggs is retired, Tim Erixon is in Sweden, and Kasper Bjorkqvist is also a minor leaguer.

The Maple Leafs got five prime years of Kasperi Kapanen out of this trade and they used the first round pick they got from the Penguins to bring in Frederik Andersen. Nick Spaling would be traded away for picks that got used in the Andersen trade and to draft Sean Durzi who got us Jake Muzzin. There was also Scott Harrington and a pick used on JD Greenway, but that’s trade filler and doesn’t help my point.

My point is, this trade is now Jason Zucker in exchange for Frederik Andersen, Jake Muzzin, and pick #15 in the 2020 draft - and I can add that #15 is seven spots HIGHER than where the Penguins originally drafted Kapanen (22nd overall, 2014 draft). Even if it was just the pick for Kappy, this is a loss.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are finally winners this summer.

Now, the news.

We wrote a whole bunch of stuff about this trade right away, because it’s all we have and we’re going to milk every last drop of the news.

Back to Excited Episode 117: Kasperi Kapanen Trade Reaction
Getting Leafs fans up to speed on the 2020 NHL Draft first round
What’s the Maple Leafs cap space like post Kapanen trade?
Who could be available at 15th overall?
Should the Maple Leafs keep the Pittsburgh 1st-round pick?

And we’re not the only ones to do so:

Maple Leafs start busy offseason plans with trade of Kapanen to Penguins
Kapanen trade sets Maple Leafs up for more moves this off-season
CRACKS OF DON: Maple Leafs appear to be clearing space for player they really need
Kyle Dubas: Toronto Maple Leafs likely to make more deals to improve team, clear cap space - TSN.ca
TRIAKOS: Could Kapanen trade give Leafs a chance at signing Pietrangelo?
Prospect of interest: New Maple Leafs forward Filip Hallander
Kyle Dubas on the Kasperi Kapanen trade: "We are open to keeping the pick, but in the spot that we are in with our team right now, we are also open to moving it if the right deal came along for someone that could help us now" | Maple Leafs Hotstove
Breaking down the Kapanen trade
Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas says they’re open to trading newly acquired first-round pick
Kasperi Kapanen sai herätessään kuulla, että hänet on myyty – ”En tiennyt mitä uskoa”

Sending Kapanen back to Pittsburgh made me think of something I wrote years ago, about actually renting players to other teams.

What if we rented players out like movies?

Kyle Dubas spoke about the deal:

There’s a tiny bit of news out there, but everything else that comes up when I google “NHL News” is all about Kapanen. Really makes you think about whats the most important thing in the NHL right now.

The NHL spoke about the start of the next season, which is...sometime in the future.

NHL remains ‘flexible’ on start date for 2020-21 regular season

John Tortorella got fined, because he’s a dick.

NHL fines Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella $25K

Have a good one y’all.

From The Branches