Trade Deadline Roundtable: How did the Leafs do?
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The PPP braintrust has gathered from the four corners of the world to have opinions about the Leafs’ trade deadline activity. Let’s recap what that activity was.
The Leafs gave up their 2021 first-round pick, their 2021 fourth-round pick, and their 2022 fourth-round pick to get aging power forward Nick Foligno
from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets retained the maximum 50% of Foligno’s salary and Foligno was routed through San Jose, where they Sharks retained
another 50% of the salary remaining, so that the Leafs wound up with 25% of Foligno’s original cap cost. The Leafs also got AHL forward Stefan Noesen from the Sharks.
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Topi Niemelä
Niemela started the game on the third pair with Eemil Viro, but was put on the first power play unit and was given spot shifts higher up the lineup with fellow Leaf Mikko Kokkonen and Ville Heinola. By the end of the game when Finland was trying to tie a 3-2 game, he was moved up permanently to the top pair to get maximum offense. Finland is basically using him as a Travis Dermott.
In terms of highlights, Niemela set up the first goal of the game on the power play.
Niemela picks up an assist on his first shift: pic.twitter.com/QCn6QNgEfi Kevin Papetti (@KPapetti) December 23, 2020