It has been 23 years because the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Darcy Tucker from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a commerce on Feb. 9, 2000, and followers had been very . Whereas Tucker wasn’t as massive a reputation as Leafs followers got here to like, his commerce worth wasn’t astronomical. The Maple Leafs gave up a roster participant and a set of draft picks, and in return bought Tucker, who was the headliner of the commerce, together with two draft picks.
Tucker returns to Canada
Tucker, initially drafted by the Montreal Canadiens, was traded to the Lightning in 1998. Two seasons later, he was despatched again to Canada on a commerce to the Maple Leafs, the place he would settle. In that commerce, Toronto traded Mike Johnson, Marek Posmyk, a 2000 fifth- and sixth-round draft choose who turned out to be Pavel Sedov and Aaron Gionet, and a 2001 fifth-round draft choose. Tampa used the 2001 fifth-round draft choose to pick out Terry Denike.
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The important thing return for the Lightning on this commerce was younger Johnson; nonetheless, the Maple Leafs bought an asset that may grow to be a part of their core for years to come back. Tucker performed eight seasons for the group and was a teammate with workforce captain Mats Sundin. Throughout these eight seasons, he scored 148 objectives and 171 assists for a complete of 319 factors in 531 video games with the blue and white. He was additionally a part of 5 playoff appearances with the Maple Leafs, the place he performed in 58 playoff video games, together with an Japanese Convention Finals loss in 2002, which was the final time the group went this far within the playoffs. He had 10 objectives and 11 assists for 21 playoff factors in 58 video games with the workforce.
Sadly for Tucker and the Maple Leafs, there was no actual playoff success throughout his time with the membership. There have been years just like the Japanese Convention Finals loss in 2002 that the workforce got here near, however by no means shut sufficient to play within the Stanley Cup Finals. All through his closing years on the workforce, he was a real veteran who helped younger gamers like Matt Stajan, Alexander Steen and Kyle Wellwood. Wellwood was chosen with the 2001 fifth-round choose Toronto bought from Tampa, and he is had a good NHL profession. Tucker was named an assistant captain within the 2007-08 season, which was his final season with the Maple Leafs. Sadly, the workforce purchased out the rest of Tucker’s contract on June 24, 2008, paying him $1 million a 12 months for six years.
As for the aforementioned Wellwood, he’ll play 4 of his 9 seasons for the Maple Leafs. He appeared in 189 video games, registering 31 objectives and 77 assists for a complete of 108 factors. He performed for the Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets to finish his nine-year NHL profession. As for the opposite participant who will go to the Maple Leafs as a part of the deal, Miguel Delisle didn’t make it to the NHL after being drafted within the fourth spherical of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He spent most of his profession within the ECHL.
The package deal is heading to Tampa
As the primary piece stepping into the other way in commerce, Johnson was simply 25 when he was dealt, having spent 4 seasons with the Maple Leafs. He appeared in 226 video games and scored 48 objectives and 72 assists for 120 factors. Whereas nonetheless younger and coming into his prime, he was well-liked sufficient to carry a fan favourite to Tucker. Johnson’s profession has been fairly lengthy, spanning 11 seasons with 5 totally different golf equipment, gathering a complete of 375 factors in 661 video games.
His time in Tampa Bay was quick; he solely performed two seasons, scoring 60 factors in 92 video games. His profession improved when he joined the Pheonix Coyotes (now Arizona), the place his manufacturing elevated, in addition to his position on the workforce. He scored 159 factors in 242 video games over 5 seasons, together with his career-high 63 factors in 2002-03. After his stint with the Coyotes, Johnson labored with the Canadiens and the St. Louis Blues earlier than heading abroad to complete his profession.
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Posmyk was the opposite recognized participant within the deal, and his profession was not good in any respect. He performed simply 19 profession NHL video games over two seasons earlier than going abroad for 12 years earlier than retiring. The three gamers who had been chosen with the draft picks sadly did not go as Tampa might need hoped. Sedov, Gionet and Denike have collectively performed a complete of zero NHL video games.
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It is protected to say the Maple Leafs bought many of the deal, bringing in a participant who has made his mark on the group for the higher a part of eight seasons. Whereas the Lightning may have had a greater outcome with the draft picks they obtained within the commerce, they did not signal gamers who may have made an influence. They missed gamers like Roman Cechmanek, who was drafted within the sixth spherical by the Philadelphia Flyers, and even Henrik Lundqvist, who was drafted within the seventh spherical by the New York Rangers. Sadly, they weren’t profitable on the draft, which may have made followers return to that deal and suppose Tampa Bay gained the commerce. As a substitute, it was most positively the Maple Leafs who gained it.
