Leafs acquire Franson from the Predators

[The Guid]

Per team release: Nashville acquired D Brett Lebda and F Robert Slaney from Toronto for D Cody Franson and F Matthew Lombardi.

I think I know why Poile never gets GM of the Year lol

Steal for the Leafs imo

 

[Phil The Thrill]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 3, 2011) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has acquired defenseman Brett Lebda and forward Robert Slaney from the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Cody Franson and forward Matthew Lombardi. The deal also includes a fourth-round pick – Nashville will acquire Toronto’s 2013 fourth rounder if Lombardi plays 60 or more games regular-season games over the course of 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, while Toronto will acquire Nashville’s 2013 fourth rounder if Lombardi does not play 60 games during the next two campaigns.

“Unfortunately, Matthew Lombardi's concussion last season and recovery left us uncertain about his ability to come back for this season, and that uncertainty has made it difficult for us to move forward, plan and develop our lineup,” Poile said. “We never like to give up young homegrown talent like Cody Franson, but have to give up something in order to put ourselves in position to do other things to improve our team, which we are committed to doing between now and training camp.”

Lebda, 29 (1/15/82), appeared in 41 games for the Leafs in 2010-11, registering four points (1g-3a) and 14 penalty minutes. The Buffalo Grove, Ill., native has amassed 72 points (19g-53a) and 215 penalty minutes in 367 NHL regular-season contests with Detroit and Toronto since 2005-06, and 10 assists and 40 PIMs in 62 playoff games during that span. The 5-9, 194-pound blueliner won a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008, and helped Detroit advance to the Finals the following season. Prior to turning pro in 2004-05, Lebda played four seasons at the University of Notre Dame, amassing 85 points (26g-59a) and 253 penalty minutes in 152 games.

Slaney, 22 (10/13/88), spent the majority of the 2010-11 campaign with the ECHL’s Reading Royals, notching 24 points (7g-17a) and 34 PIMs in 61 games. He also appeared in nine contests with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, posting one assist and two penalty minutes. The 6-2, 203-pound native of Upper Island Cove, Newfoundland played four seasons with Cape Breton (QMJHL) from 2005-09, registering 168 points (78g-90a) and 229 PIMs in 239 games.

http://predators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=568386

 

[Phil The Thrill]

I love this deal so much. Gives us another winger and a young offensive defenseman. We also get rid of Brett Lebda.

Only reason why I think the Predators would do this is to clear cap room.

 

[The Guid]

I posted before you

 

[footballplaya52]

merged!

 

[Phil The Thrill]

Either way I love this for the Leafs. You gotta believe another trade is coming for the Leafs on defense as there is now a surplus.

Keith Aulie - Dion Phaneuf
Luke Schenn - Cody Franson
Carl Gunnarsson - John Michael Liles
Mike Komisarek

Hopefully it's the man who is bolded.

I can't believe this steal though. When I saw that Lebderp was traded, I thought we were getting another hack.

 

[playmaker7]

Yes this is a very huge steal for the Leafs

It better be to clear cap room. Poile may have something else in the works

 

[Mooche]

Franson is a wicked addition to Toronto. I love what they did in this deal for sure.

I give Burke some mad props on this transaction.

 

[snipezo]

What the? What is poile doing??

 

[HockeyGuy]

all I can say is WOW! The Leafs defense actually looks pretty good right now and there huge in size! Lombardi is very speedy and can score goals here and there if he's healthy, he just needs to keep his head up and he should be fine.

Is Nashville giving up on the season already? barely into the offseason.

 

[Rios15]

Love the speed of Lombardi and looking at the stats of this Fransen kid, he looks like one of those playmaking defensemans that can only get better. And we only gave up Lebda? And whoever Slanley is.

 

[JKG33]

As soon as they heard they moved Lebda I was happy. That alone is addition by subtraction. Throwing in a career AHLer and getting Franson and Lombardi is amazing. I've always wanted Franson on the Leafs.

But there is a catch. Lombardi only played 2 games last year, then he was out with a severe concussion. He may be done. There is a conditional 4th round pick, If Lombardi plays more than 40 or 60 (i've heard both) games, Nashville gets the pick. If he plays less, Toronto gets the pick.

The reason for this trade is Nashville can't afford to pay Lombardi should he be on the LTIR, and then have to pay somebody else to play on the roster in his spot. They are saving all the money they can to try and keep Weber. I still don't know why Franson had to be included, but the do have a lot of young d-men.

 

[snipezo]

Yeah good point. I think they're ready to give Weber the big bucks. I think they may be trying to make room for Ellis as well.

 

[Mooche]

Yeah good point. I think they're ready to give Weber the big bucks. I think they may be trying to make room for Ellis as well.

This is something that a lot of people are forgetting. Ryan Ellis is going to have his day soon, and he's been maturing and is ready to see the ice on the NHL level I truly believe. Franson could set up players and make some plays, so they went and moved him (in a brutal deal.. but) and got some other plays. Ryan Ellis is a playmaking, skilled and confident defenseman who I see having a nice NHL career.

 

[The Guid]

I understand all that but Franson is no scrub. I just thought they could get decent value for him, maybe even equal from somebody, and instead they got scrubs.

Cap or no cap, it was a poor decision

 

[Rios15]

It was a poor decision. They could have at least tried getting a pick in my opinion, and it would make the deal a tad better. I'm surprised such a defenseman like Franson could be traded for something as little as Lebda who had a +/- of -14 last season and just 1 goal and 3 assists in 41 games.

 

[The Guid]

^Exactly

 

[Phil The Thrill]

Like Rios said, I can see this been a cap dump etc, but Nashville could have at least got way more value for him, probably a first round pick. Instead they get a below average prospect, and Brett Lebda, our whipping boy, and the worst player to play for the Leafs in a long time imo.

 

[playmaker7]

Ellis and Blum are ready to be NHLers full time so thats a very plausible reason to trade away Franson

But like all of this shit that was said, it was a horrible move for Nashville.

 

[H-MYK]

An awesome move for the Leafs. I'm really starting to love the defense now.