NHL trade deadline: Leafs trade Rasmus Sandin to Capitals for Erik Gustafsson, pick

The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded defenceman Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals in trade for defenceman Erik Gustafsson and a 2023 first-round pick initially belonging to the Boston Bruins, the workforce introduced Tuesday.

Gustafsson has recorded seven targets and 38 factors in 61 video games for the Capitals this season, whereas Sandin has registered 4 targets and 20 factors in 51 contests for the Maple Leafs.

After a sequence of strikes made earlier than the deadline, together with the acquisitions of Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari, Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty, Toronto wanted to turn into cap compliant. Gustafsson joins the Maple Leafs on an expiring $800,000 contract earlier than turning into an unrestricted free agent on the finish of this season.

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Washington managed 53.7 % of the anticipated targets with Gustafsson on the ice at 5-on-5 this season, per Pure Stat Trick, and the 30-year-old is in the course of a resurgent marketing campaign. Gustafsson will seemingly slot into Toronto’s third pair, though we’re curious to see how Sheldon Keefe readjusts his strains forward of Wednesday’s recreation towards the Edmonton Oilers, particularly after buying McCabe — one other left-shot defenceman — on Monday.

McCabe practiced alongside T.J. Brodie on Tuesday, so Gustafsson will seemingly slot into the workforce’s seventh defensive spot, not less than throughout the preliminary few video games of the Maple Leafs’ present highway journey.

Toronto Maple Leafs' Rasmus Sandin during the third period of the NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J., Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. The Maple Leafs defeated the Devils 6-1. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) — Toronto Maple Leafs’ Rasmus Sandin throughout the third interval of the NHL hockey recreation towards the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J., Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. The Maple Leafs defeated the Devils 6-1. (AP Picture/Seth Wenig)

Toronto drafted Sandin with the twenty ninth total pick in 2018 and he was in the course of a breakout season, taking part in the most effective hockey of his profession throughout a December 2022 stretch. Sandin is a cellular puck-moving defenceman who has tailored to the trendy tempo of the NHL. He will be deployed in all conditions and was starting to enhance as a power-play quarterback in restricted alternatives.

It’s a significant win for the Capitals to get a burgeoning star whereas they work out what course they’re going to take after the 2022-23 season.

Sandin and John Carlson are the one Capitals defenders under contract for the 2023-24 season.