Nick Foligno trade notes: Maple Leafs add Blue Jackets captain in three-team deal

Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas is still tinkering with his roster. During the offseason, he recruited veterans Joe Thornton and Wayne Simmonds. In mid-February he added Alex Galchenyuk and the refit project was skating on the front row on Saturday night. Two days ago Dubas added Riley Nash.

As Dubas recently told TSN’s James Duthie: “It’s no secret that we are going to be a team looking to acquire players by the deadline.”

Well, with less than 24 hours of the end of the 2021 NHL commercial season, Dubas has added another all-round veteran in Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno. The move was part of a three-team swap with hockey’s newest term, a “team of brokers” used to close the deal because of this pesky thing known as the salary cap.

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Here’s how the teams did it:

The Maple Leafs received from Columbus:

Nick Foligno (F)

Blue Jackets received from Toronto:

2021 first-round pick, 2022 fourth-round pick and Blue Jackets to keep 50% of Foligno contract

The Maple Leafs received from San Jose:

Stefan Noesen (F)

Sharks received from Toronto:

Fourth-round pick in 2021, and San Jose will retain half of the remaining 50% of Foligno’s contract

Shark quality: B +

As a “team of brokers,” San Jose essentially grabbed a fourth-round pick to help the Leafs. According to CapFriendly, the Sharks had over $ 10.5 million in cap space and will retain $ 1.375 million from Foligno’s contract.

Blue Jackets Category: A-

Of course, there were high expectations for the Blue Jackets heading into the 2021 season. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, even after trading disgruntled center Pierre-Luc Dubois at the Jets for the disgruntled winger Patrik Laine. So, with the team occupying seventh place and seven points out of a playoff spot in the Central Division, they quickly became sellers.

You have to give GM Jarmo Kekalainen a lot of credit. After trading unrestricted free agent David Savard next Saturday, he dispatched another pending UFA to Foligno to the Leafs. He could have seen every player walk for nothing – although it’s entirely possible that Foligno re-signed with Columbus during the offseason – but instead he ended up with something.

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Sacking the heart and soul of the franchise and the team captain is not an easy decision to make, but Kekalainen has put his club in a good position for the future. With both moves this weekend, the team now has three first-round draft picks and nine in total in 2021.

“Nick Foligno has been everything you expected from a captain, a representative of your team and an ambassador for your community. His contributions to the Blue Jackets franchise and the impact he and his family have had off the ice are immeasurable, ”Kekalainen said in a press release announcing the deal. “We are grateful for all that he, (his wife) Janelle and their family have done for and with us over the past nine years. Given where we are now, this decision made sense for us as an organization. and for Nick. “

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Maple Leafs Category: A-

The leaders of the North Division are ready for a Stanley Cup race and they have just added a versatile and tough forward who can be a vocal leader.

“I’m a guy who plays with my instincts, my heart and my heart telling me it was the right decision so I went with it,” said Foligno, who had to give up his no-move clause. “It’s something I wanted to do. I just felt good so I can’t wait to take this opportunity.”

Foligno, 33, brings a tough game and can provide a solid forward check for a team that has more skilled forwards than grinders. As he noted, when speaking to reporters he mentioned how dangerous the Leafs offense can be. Foligno is no slouch, however; He can also bury the puck as evidenced by his 203 goals (seven this year) in 950 career games with the Blue Jackets and Senators.

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Where he will fit into the roster even after day one is not a given as he can fit anywhere. NHL Network’s Bill Lindsay puts Foligno in the second row with John Tavares and William Nylander. If that is his landing point, then he should fit in well with the qualifying duo while still creating space for them in the attacking zone.

He’s thrown 106 5v5 hits this season (per Natural statistical tip); Jake Muzzin leads the Leafs with 65. At the same time, he also brings strong defensive play; he blocked 27 shots in 5v5, which would place him sixth with Toronto.

The now former Columbus captain brings a wealth of experience as a leader, which is another key for a team that in previous years needed an extra boost – like when the Foligno Blue Jackets sent the Maple Leafs summer hockey.

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“There are a lot of great leaders in this room already so I’m here to pull the rope the same way all of these guys are,” he said. “I think that’s the way they trust you and you just come in and work. It’s my mentality anyway. I just work as extremely hard as I can and try to coach the guys and help in any way i need.

“It’s an opportunity for me guys. I mean, let’s be honest, it’s been a tough year here at Columbus and I take a lot of that responsibility, so it’s an opportunity that I take that I take. will not waste. “

This move is also a good one for Dubas, who will only have to pay 25% of Foligno’s contract.

It will be some time before Foligno and Noesen can join the club, as they will both have to quarantine themselves for seven days once they arrive in Toronto. Noesen, for his part, has split time between the Sharks and their AHL affiliate this season and is expected to be a deep forward.

When he finally gets dressed, Foligno will see some familiar faces in former Senators teammate Jason Spezza, former Blue Jackets teammate (for two days) Nash and USA Hockey teammate Auston Matthews.

He will also appear familiar to fans since he will wear the number 71 – which his father, Mike, also wore for the Maple Leafs.