Sat, Nov 16, 2013 at 10:50am

LEAFS, DUCKS MAKE A SWAP

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired center Peter Holland and winger Brad Staubitz from the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jesse Blacker, a conditional third-round draft pick in 2014 and seventh-round draft pick in 2014.

What does it give the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs were desperate to add center depth at this time, with both {P Tyler Bozak} and {P Dave Bolland} injured and {P Nazem Kadri} suspended. Therefore, acquiring Holland makes sense here. He has solid offensive upside and should play regularly for the next little while. He needs to make the most of this latest opportunity, so he'll be plenty motivated to perform well. Staubitz was a throw-in here, as Anaheim was motivated to get rid of his one-way NHL contract.

What does it give the Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks gave up on Holland largely because of the emergence of {P Rickard Rakell} this year, plus the arrival of {P Mathieu Perreault} and continued development of {P Nick Bonino}. In Blacker, they add a little defensive depth with a player with some upside (though perhaps not as promising as Holland). They also added a quality draft pick (third rounder, which could turn into a second) and another pick in 2014. Anaheim was also motivated to unload Staubitz's contract.

Fantasy impact
Holland could see a nice spike in fantasy value in the short term, but he will need to perform quite well to land a permanent spot in Toronto (a team with good center depth when everybody is in the lineup). Staubitz is likely to remain in the AHL for an indefinite period of time and only has value for penalty minutes (but will be stuck behind both {P Colton Orr} and {P Frazer McLaren} with the Leafs). Blacker isn't likely to get called up to the NHL anytime soon, so his value remains largely unchanged.