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Trade: Leafs acquire O’Byrne from Colorado

Ryan O'Byrne

Colorado Avalanche Chicago Blackhawks during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Chicago, Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010.(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Nam Y. Huh

The Toronto Maple Leafs added some defensive depth right before the trade deadline on Wednesday, picking up Colorado defenseman Ryan O’Byrne.

The move, first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, will cost the Leafs a fourth-round pick at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

O’Byrne, 28, is in the final year of a two-year, $3.6 million deal signed with Colorado in 2011.

The steady rearguard has appeared in 34 games for the Avs this year, scoring 1G-3A-4PTS while averaging 18:51 TOI per contest.

A big body -- he stands 6-foot-5, 230 pounds -- O’Byrne should provide another physical presence in the Leafs lineup, mostly in a shutdown/physical role.

According to Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun, the O’Byrne acquisition will also give Toronto some much-needed playoff experience. His 19 postseason contests makes him the Leafs’ fifth-most experienced playoff performer.