The Colorado Avalanche are scratching and clawing to try to make the playoffs. The Toronto Maple Leafs are just trying to load up for the future.
With that in mind, there’s no surprise that the two teams combined to further their efforts in both regards on Sunday.
Here’s the breakdown of the trade that just went down.
Avalanche receive: Forward Shawn Matthias
(Does this mean Joe Sakic has his “puck management forward?”)
Maple Leafs get: A fourth-round pick and Colin Smith.
The bigger picture is that Toronto’s really loading up for the 2016 NHL Draft. They also continue to make cap-friendly moves.
The #leafs didn't retain any of Shawn Matthias' $2.3M salary. He's a pending UFA.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 21, 2016
The #leafs now own 12 picks for the 2016 draft.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 21, 2016
Leafs hold two picks in each round of the 2016 NHL draft except the second and seventh, via @generalfanager https://t.co/KVLArduYAK
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) February 21, 2016
It wouldn’t be surprising if both teams made more moves along these lines as the trade deadline approaches on Feb. 29.
This might be Matthias’ best moment: