When a deal comes together between Brian Burke and Lou Lamoriello it’s like a layer cake of analysis, even if it’s a small deal. New Jersey sent center David Steckel to Toronto in exchange for a 2012 fourth round draft pick. It’s not a big deal by any means, but it’s one that has curious effects on both teams.
For Toronto, Steckel enters a situation where the Leafs have a lot of depth at center. Tim Connolly and Mikhail Grabovski have the top two lines taken care of, but guys like Matt Lombardi, Tyler Bozak, and Philippe Dupuis are in the mix on the bottom two lines. Bozak was assumed to be the third line center while Lombardi would likely start on his wing, or vice-versa. Dupuis was set to be the center on the fourth line, but with Steckel and his league-leading faceoff winning abilities now in town, he likely slots in there.
The guy getting the squeeze here could be Bozak as Lombardi being healthy again after concussion issues makes him a bit redundant. Bozak is more of an offensive player but having him center a third or fourth line doesn’t make much sense and there isn’t room for him elsewhere in the lineup.
In New Jersey, Steckel was already squirreled away as the Devils’ third or fourth line center, but with him headed to Toronto now the door is open for the Devils young guys to take over. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello tells Tom Gulitti of Fire & Ice that the move opens the door for others to fit in better with the team.
Sykora has yet to sign with the Devils. If he is sticking around, that move will happen soon enough.
It’s a blip on the screen when it comes to headline-grabbing deals, but it’s the sort of deal that could lead to other others happening to follow it up, especially in Toronto.