Only a few short hours after finally locking up one forward, Brock Nelson, the New York Islanders and GM Garth Snow sent another one packing. The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Thursday that they had acquired forward Michael Grabner from the Isles in exchange for forward Taylor Beck and Carter Verhaeghe, defensemen Matt Finn and Tom Nilsson and goaltender Christopher Gibson.
"Grabner has skated in 317 NHL games between the Islanders and Vancouver Canucks, collecting 95 goals and 60 assists for 155 career points. Last season, he registered 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists) in 34 regular season games. The 27-year-old was selected by Vancouver in the first round (14th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft," reads the Maple Leafs' release announcing the move.
As TSN's Frank Seravalli notes, Grabner seemed to be on the outside looking in at the Islanders lineup prior to the trade. A change of scenery for the Gremlin could serve both he and New York well. Arthur Staple of Newsday suggested this spring that Grabner could find himself the odd man out on Long Island after he struggled with injuries in 2014-15 and ended the playoff as a healthy scratch.
Grabner, despite his down season, still has ample speed and offensive prowess. His contract will need to be addressed - he's entering the final year of his deal at a $3 million cap hit - but he's been a double digit goal-scorer for the past four years.
If new Leafs head coach Mike Babcock can help him find his game again, he could be a strong pickup for a rebuilding Toronto team.
