The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a deal that sends Daniel Winnik and a 2016 fifth-round pick to the Washington Capitals in return for Brooks Laich, Connor Carrick and a second-round pick.
Winnik was signed on a one-year deal with the Leafs in 2014 and was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins last February before returning to Toronto as a UFA on July 1.
This season, the 30 year-old has produced four goals and 10 assists in 56 games.
The Leafs’ fifth-round pick heading to Washington was previously acquired from Anaheim for Korbinian Holzer.
Brooks Laich has played 60 games for Washington, turning-up one goal and six assists. To date, he’s played in 743 NHL games, having 133 goals and 191 assists to his credit between Washington and the Ottawa Senators.
The Leafs feel that Connor Carrick will be a nice addition for their system. The 21 year-old has played 46 games with the AHL’s Hershey Bears this season, earning 10 goals and 15 assists in addition to playing three games with the Capitals this season. He currently leads all Bear’s defensemen in scoring.
Of note, Laich’s $4.5 million cap hit becomes the highest on Toronto’s active roster.
There was no money retained in this deal for either team.
Cap room for WSH: @CapFriendly: WSH now has $2.2M in deadline space w/o dipping into LTIR relief ($8.6M w/ LTIR) pic.twitter.com/wfBcT55aLQ
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 29, 2016
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Ben Smith covers the CHL for The Hockey Writers. He also writes for HockeyNow Magazine, FlamesNation and SB Nation.
