Yesterday, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke dealt veteran defenseman Francois Beauchemin to the Anaheim Ducks for defensive prospect Jake Gardiner, a conditional fourth round draft pick in 2013 and the apple of Burke’s eye, Joffrey Lupul.
Lupul, who has battled back problems and a serious blood infection over the past two seasons, has three 20 goal seasons to his name, scoring 28 goals in 2005-06, 20 in 2007-08 and 25 in 2008-09, respectively.
In Gardiner, Burke got a converted forward who is known for his quick outlet passes, puck control and skating ability. All in all, Gardiner is regarded as a tremendous prospect who may very well emerge as a top four defenseman in a few years.
At yesterday’s press conference, Burke said he was not done dealing and while he was non-committal about the number of trades he would be making, he gave every indication that the Maple Leafs will be sellers and that no reasonable deal will go without being given every consideration.
Burke also reiterated the fact that he sees his squad getting younger, pointing to defensive prospect Keith Aulie being summoned back to the big club ...
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Article written by Mark Ritter
Brian Burke Deals Francois Beauchemin: Who Is Next To Go?
February 10th, 2011 by Mark Ritter Leave a reply »
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