The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded Mike Santorelli and Cody Franson to the Nashville Predators.
Cody Franson, a 6’5″ puck moving defenseman, has been playing on the Leafs top pairing alongside youngster Jake Gardiner. Known as an offensive defenseman, Franson excels at transition play and utilizes good agility and stick-handling skills to get the puck up the ice in a hurry. Right-handed defenseman are always sought after, and Franson was the biggest target on the defense side of things, coming down to the trade deadline. Franson was originally drafted by the Predators, and was acquired by the Leafs three years ago in a move that sent Brett Lebda to Nashville. Franson is in the midst of the best season of his career. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent come July 1st.
The 29-year-old Santorelli is also set to be an unrestricted free agent come July 1st. Last summer he signed a $1.5 million, one year contract with the Leafs. Santorelli is a versatile forward, capable of playing both centre and right wing. Santorelli has been one of the bright spots for the Leafs this season, bringing effort and intensity, and playing a strong two-way game night in and night out. That versatility, consistency, and the fact he is a right-handed shot has made him a valuable commodity as a rental, and there have been rumors that he would be traded for several weeks.
Santorelli has spent most of this season playing on the Leafs second line with Nazem Kadri and Daniel Winnik.
Santorelli’s best season came in 2010-11 when he scored 20 goals and 41 points with the Florida Panthers. While he won’t be expected to reach those type of offensive numbers again, he can provide some secondary offence down the stretch and for a playoff run.
Going the other way is veteran Olli Jokinen, prospect Brendan Leipsic and Nashville’s 2015 1st round pick.
Jokinen, 36-years-old, has just three goals and three assists in 48 appearances with the Predators this season. The 6’3″ center has a career 746 points (320 goals, 426 assists) in 1217 games with the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators.
The 20-year-old Leipsic is in his first season with the Milwaukee Admirals. In 47 games, the young center has 7 goals and 28 assists. Not overly large, standing at 5’10” and 177 pounds, Brendan is crafty with the puck and uses his speed to get himself out of tight situations.
Stay tuned to Last Word on Sports for complete coverage of all the big deals leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline. We’ll bring you the deals, analysis of the players involved and more.
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