While they don’t meet that often on the ice anymore, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers certainly have a history when it comes to swapping players. They haven’t engaged in a trade since the summer of 2015 and the majority of them weren’t groundbreaking.
That said, it’s been nearly three years since the two teams made a move which means it’s a great time to look back on the last five trades between the Maple Leafs and Oilers.
Shooting for the Marincin
T0 find the most recent trade between the Maple Leafs and Oilers, you have to back to June 27, 2015, when Toronto acquired defenceman Martin Marincin in exchange for Brad Ross and a 2015 fourth-round pick.
While Marincin is currently with the team’s AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies, he has suited up for 92 games with the Maple Leafs over parts of three seasons. Over that span, he’s tallied two goals and 14 points. He’ll be a restricted free agent (RFA) following the 2017-18 campaign.
As for Ross, following the 2014-15 season he jumped to the DEL where he played two seasons with the Iserlohn Roosters before signing with the Heilbronn Falcons. He didn’t, however, play a single game with the Oilers.
The pick, which was originally acquired by the Leafs when the shipped Daniel Winnik to Pittsburgh, was used by the Oilers to acquire Eric Gryba from the Ottawa Senators just moments after the Marincin deal.
Introducing Another Teemu
Before the Marincin deal, the Maple Leafs and Oilers engaged in a deal back on Jan. 31, 2014. Toronto acquired Teemu Hartikainen and Cam Abney, while the Oilers picked up defenceman Mark Fraser.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Recent Dealings With the Red Wings
The Maple Leafs got nothing from Hartikainen before he jumped over to the KHL for the 2013-14 season. He’s played there ever since as a member of Ufa Salavat Yulayev. Abney on the other hand remained in North America, but never made it out of the ECHL – rejoining the Bakersfield Condors for the 2014-15 season.
As for Fraser, he played 23 games with the Oilers following the trade scoring one goal and adding 43 penalty minutes. He joined the New Jersey Devils the following season before heading overseas for the 2017-18 campaign.
Trading a Tough Guy
Before that, we have to look back to Mar. 4, 2013, for the third most recent trade between the two clubs. The Maple Leafs shipped out tough guy Mike Brown and received a 2014 fourth-round pick in return.
Brown played 35 games with the Oilers over parts of two seasons tallying a single goal before stops in San Jose and, most recently, Montreal in 2015-16.
As for the pick, the Leafs used it in Apr. 2013 to acquire Ryan O’Byrne from the Colorado Avalanche. O’Byrne tallied a goal and an assists in eight games with the Leafs before bolting overseas the following year.
Picks Upon Picks
Back on June 26, 2010, the Maple Leafs and Oilers engaged in a trade that dealt simply with two picks – one going each way. The Leafs grabbed a 2011 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2010 seventh-round pick.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Recent Swaps With the Stars
The Oilers used the 2010 seventh-rounder to take Kellen Jones with the 202nd overall pick. Since being drafted, he’s split time between the AHL and ECHL, never breaking into the NHL with the Oilers.
As for the Leafs, they used the 2011 pick to take David Broll 152nd overall. He played just five games for the Leafs in 2013-14 and recorded one assist before the Leafs traded him to Tampa Bay in 2015 for future considerations.
Trading Mr. Smith
Finally, back on Mar. 23, 1999, the Maple Leafs and Oilers engaged in possibility their most significant trade in recent memory. The Leafs traded defenceman Jason Smith to the Oilers in exchange for a 1999 fourth-round pick and 2000 second-round pick.
A defensive defenceman, Smith went on to play 542 games for the Oilers over parts of eight seasons. He collected 31 goals and 113 points over that span and made it to the Stanley Cup Final with them in 2005-06.
As for the picks, the Leafs used the 1999 selection to take Jonathan Zion with the 110th overall pick from the Ottawa 67s. Zion played the majority of his career in the minors and spent some time overseas, but never made the jump to the NHL.
In 2000, the Maple Leafs took Kris Vernarsky with the 51st overall pick from the Plymouth Whalers. He would later play 17 games for the Boston Bruins from 2002 to 2004, but never stuck in the NHL. Safe to say the Oilers got the better end of this deal.
While the majority of them are insignificant, did any of these deals stand out to you? Who won them and who lost? Be sure to add your thoughts by commenting below and tune in next time when we take a look at the five most recent trades between the Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.