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What the Sharks-Maple Leafs deal says about both teams
Raffi Torres, who has spent most of his season in the AHL, was traded by the San Jose Sharks to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images

What the Sharks-Maple Leafs deal says about both teams

The most recent NHL deal took place while some of you were still sleeping, and it was another of the many moves made by the Toronto Leafs.

Toronto dealt defenseman Roman Polak and forward Nick Spaling to the San Jose Sharks in the wee hours Monday morning in exchange for Raffi Torres and second-round picks in both the 2017 and 2018 NHL Drafts.

Here’s what the moves mean for some of the parties involved:

The Leafs are piling up a lot of draft picks in their pre-deadline moves — they now potentially have 12 so far for this June’s draft — showing that they are taking a rebuild of the franchise seriously. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun wrote that the big moves on Toronto's part, starting with the trade of captain Dion Phaneuf a couple weeks back, needed to happen for some time now:

“It’s the right way to go. The Toronto market has waited decades for this kind of approach. The long-suffering fans are getting their massive rebuild, finally.”

Per General Fanager, a top Twitter source for NHL player contract information:

On the West Coast, the Sharks have also made a move they needed to for a couple seasons now — adding to their blue line, which has proved to be thin when one of their top defenders is sidelined by injury. The acquisition of Polak — whom some San Jose media pinpointed as being a good fit for the team a while back — shows that the Sharks are taking a push for the playoffs seriously.

San Jose is currently jockeying with the Anaheim Ducks for second place in the Pacific Division and is five points behind the first-place Los Anegles Kings.

Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in the team’s press release Monday morning:

“Roman and Nick are both quality, character players that will complement and enhance our current roster… Our existing group of players has battled hard and they have earned the right to have every chance to succeed this season."

In addition to adding depth to the defensive corps and being considered a good dressing-room guy, Polak also brings a level of grit that the Sharks’ blue line needs more of.

Speaking of gritty players, Raffi Torres is part of this deal, which has of course raised wonder as to the kind of reception that Leafs fans will give the notoriously controversial forward. It's even more interesting when you throw in the fact that the new team is presided over by former NHL Department of Player Safety Director Brendan Shanahan, who was at the helm during part Torres’ suspension-laden carrier.

Keep in mind: Torres had yet another surgery on his right knee during his lengthy 41-game suspension and has spent all playing time since the suspension ended in the AHL, suiting up for the San Jose Barracuda. Plus, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reported early Monday morning:

More must-reads:

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