Filed under: Bruins, Maple Leafs
TORONTO - General manager Brian Burke praised departing defenseman Tomas Kaberle on Friday, saying the veteran earned the right to get his wish and be traded to the Boston Bruins for the way he represented the Toronto Maple Leafs for more than a decade."He was a special player here," said Burke about three hours after the much-rumored trade was finalized. "He was one of the best defensemen to play here in this era, if not the best. A gentleman the whole time.''
In exchange for Kaberle, the Maple Leafs got a first round pick in the 2011 draft and minor league prospect Joe Colborne and a conditional pick, thought to be a second-round pick in 2012 if Kaberle re-signs with the Bruins or if Boston makes the Stanley Cup Finals this season.
Kaberle's departure creates a massive hole on the Maple Leaf blueline. He averaged 22 minutes, 28 seconds of ice time per game and was fifth in team scoring with three goals and 38 points. The second-highest scoring defenseman is Dion Phaneuf with 15 points and 13 for Luke Schenn.
Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson said it would be "impossible" to replace Kaberle's production.
"It's tough," he said. "I don't even know how many points he's got, but it's a lot if you compare it to the next D-man. (He had) a lot of points and a lot of confidence on the point on the power play too. That's probably the toughest thing to replace."
Burke said a third-round pick acquired in the Kris Versteeg deal with Philadelphia has been offered to a team he would not name for a defenseman.
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