[TribalPhoenix]

A King's Random; Leafs deal Kessel to Kings, Acquire Carter

First a starting goaltender, now a 1st line centre. My my, the Maple Leafs are figuring things out.

The Maple Leafs pulled off a blockbuster move today, as General Manager TribalPhoenix announced the club had dealt scoring winger Phil Kessel, along with prospect Sam Carrick and journeyman defenceman Kevin Porter, to the Los Angeles Kings. In return, the Leafs finally acquire the legitimate 1st line centre that the club has lacked since Mats Sundin, as Jeff Carter is Toronto-bound, along with blue-chip offensive prospect Tyler Toffoli and veteran stay-at-home defenceman Rob Scuderi.

“This was a major shake-up, but one we had to make. It’s not every day you get to add two Stanley Cup rings to your roster.” TribalPhoenix stated in a press conference at Real Sports Bar and Grill this afternoon.

“Phil is an elite talent, and a top tier scoring winger in the NHL who is still signed for another season and has many years of his prime left. While we are appreciative of what he has achieved in Toronto, we recognize he will likely want to assess his options after next season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Simply put, his chances of re-signing in LA are much more likely than re-signing in Toronto. In Jeff Carter, we get a 1st line centre with size, elite scoring ability, and whom is under contract for a good amount of time. We see Jeff lining up with James Van Riemsdyk on his left side, while Joffrey Lupul goes back to his more natural right wing position. In Tyler Toffoli, we have a prospect who we were very high on in his draft year, and we see as being a top six forward for us in the not-too-distant future who will instantly infuse offence on the Marlies. Rob Scuderi brings veteran presence and defensive acumen to this club which has a great number of offensive defencemen, but could use his gritty, workman-like effort.”

“We’re extremely happy with this, and think we’ve turned a corner.”