Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 10:20pm

TORONTO TRADES FOR VERSTEEG

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired forward Kris Versteeg and winger Bill Sweatt from the Chicago Blackhawks for winger Viktor Stalberg and centers Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis.

What does it give the Toronto Maple Leafs
In Versteeg, the Leafs add a bona fide offensive threat who should greatly help the club score more goals. He can play all three forward positions, so that also will give coach Ron Wilson options, in terms of line combinations. He's only 24, so there's still upside here. Sweatt is un-signed, but he'll probably ink a new deal with his new NHL team soon. This looks like a good deal for both sides.

What does it give the Chicago Blackhawks
Stalberg is fast and has some scoring upside, but his most important trait for Chicago at this time is he's cheaper than Versteeg. This is probably the final move the 'Hawks need to make to get under the salary cap, so at least they got back a player who has already played in the NHL in Stalberg. DiDomenico and Paradis are longer-range center prospects.

Fantasy impact