Maple Leafs acquire Michael Grabner from Islanders

The Islanders created cap space by trading pricey veteran Michael Grabner to Toronto for five marginal prospects.

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired forward Michael Grabner in a six-player trade with the New York Islanders on Thursday.

The Maple Leafs gave up forwards Taylor Beck and Carter Verhaeghe, defensemen Matt Finn and Tom Nilsson, and goaltender Christopher Gibson.

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The speedy Grabner has recorded 155 points (95 goals, 60 assists) over 317 career NHL regular-season games. He had 13 points (8-5) in 34 games last season, spending much of it on the sideline with a hernia that required surgery. He was entering the final season of a five-year, $15 million deal with a cap hit this season of $3 million.

Grabner was selected by the Vancouver Canucks with the 14th overall pick of the 2006 NHL entry draft.

Beck had 16 points (8-8) over 62 games for the Nashville Predators last season. The other players heading to the Islanders played in the American Hockey League or Ontario Hockey League last season and are not expected to be part of the NHL club this season.

“A big bag of nuthin’,” SI. com analyst Allan Muir says of the Islanders’ haul in the trade. “Beck might fill a bottom-six role. I noticed Gibson playing well with the (AHL) Marlies, but was told by a Leafs scout that they didn’t see him as part of the future, so he’s probably headed for Bridgeport. Finn is an AHLer, too. Mixed reads on Verhaeghe—I wouldn't expect much, but there's a chance he fits into their bottom-six at some point. Really, this move was about the Isles opening up space on their roster and under the cap and adding a bit of depth to the organization. For the Leafs, it was about clearing some contracts to open up room to sign a player or two entering camp on a PTO and adding another asset that they'll offer up at the trade deadline.”

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