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We have small trades to announce: Ducks, Canucks, Leafs make tweaks

Ottawa Senators v New Jersey Devils

NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 08: Mark Fraser #2 of the New Jersey Devils fights Zenon Konopka #28 of the Ottawa Senators during their game on December 8, 2011 at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Al Bello

Not every trade will light up Vancouver like moving much-hyped center Cody Hodgson.

The Anaheim Ducks made two trades of a small magnitude this afternoon, with one involving the Toronto Maple Leafs and another swap with those aforementioned Canucks. Let’s look at them in helpful list form:

Anaheim receives:

Sebastian Erixon (trade report) and Dale Mitchell (trade report)

Toronto receives:

Mark Fraser (trade report) via the Ducks for Mitchell.

Vancouver receives:

Andrew Gordon (trade report) via the Ducks for Erixon.

Essentially, the Maple Leafs and Canucks get two tweeners for their contending runs. (By “tweeners” I mean semi-adequate players who might bounce between the NHL and the minors.) Those two might be described as “players you’re glad you have but hope not to see” by pessimists.

Erixon is a 22-year-old Swedish defenseman who didn’t go drafted. The Maple Leafs drafted Mitchell in the third round in 2007 but he hasn’t cracked the team’s pro-level lineup. In other words, if the Ducks see much from them, it probably won’t be any time soon.