CENTRE STAGE
Maple Leafs add depth up the middle by dealing for Canadiens veteran Plekanec
In 13 years of playing the Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre, Tomas Plekanec must have wondered why all those people in blue and white made such a racket for a mostly non-playoff team.
Now he’s in an unusual position, a Montreal Canadien lifer getting moved at the trade deadline to make a difference in Toronto’s long and painful Stanley Cup quest.
These ancient rivals rarely deal and almost never near playoff time. But the Habs are in the midst of a house cleaning, while the Leafs judged more depth at centre as vital to extending their playoff drive and keep pace with moves among Eastern Conference contenders.
So the 35-year-old Czech joins the Leafs in Tampa Bay on Monday night, perhaps to be accompanied by another trade acquisition before the 3 p.m. NHL deadline. Plekanec and winger Kyle Baun, the grandson of legendary Leafs defenceman Bobby Baun, were brought aboard Sunday
morning for Leafs farmhands Kerby Rychel, Rinat Valiev and a second-round pick this June.
The Habs will retain 50% of the remainder of Plekanec’s $6-million US salary on an expiring contract, giving the Leafs about $3 million in cap wiggle room for another deal.
Plekanec’s 981 career regular-season games include 71 against the Leafs, in which he accrued 43 points.
The deal gives Toronto a strong middle with Auston Matthews (when he returns from a shoulder injury), Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak (eventually likely to be Plekanec’s direct competition for ice time), Dominic Moore, plus William Nylander and Patrick Marleau when it suits coach Mike Babcock to play those wingers at centre. Plekanec also has a valued 87 post-season games under his belt with 49 points.
“I’m really looking forward to the team and the playoffs,” Plekanec said on a conference call. “It’s a great organization, a great fan base and they’re playing well now.”
Countryman Roman Polak was quick to get in contact and Plekanec knows another Leaf, AHL teammate Ron Hainsey, from their minor days in Hamilton.
Plekanec acknowledged he’ll be conflicted to put on a Leaf jersey so soon after leaving, but the upside is he’ll still be playing after the Habs and Leafs meet April 7 in the schedule finale.
“You get to the playoffs, anybody can win it these days, especially Toronto with the talent they have,” Plekanec told the Montreal
Gazette earlier in the day. “The organization, they’re all winners, they all won the Stanley Cup before, they won Olympics, they know
how to win those games. I’m very excited to be part of that right now and looking forward to meeting all those guys and experience what it is about.”
Plekanec knew something was imminent Saturday night when he was held out of the home game against the Lightning. GM Marc Bergevin called him Sunday morning with the news, then new boss Lou Lamoriello and Mike Babcock followed up.
“I have no idea of the details,” Plekanec said of when Toronto began
expressing serious interest in him. “You can’t be surprised (to be traded). Those (cap friendly deals between unusual trading partners) happen a lot today.”
Plekanec is not ruling leave out rejoining the Habs next summer as a UFA.
Lamoriello is not expected to speak about this trade until Monday’s deadline passes and the Leafs have made any other roster adjustments. He is still expected to seek a defenceman, one of many teams monitoring what the Rangers do with Ryan McDonagh.
Babcock said after Saturday’s win against Boston, the club’s 14th in its past 16 games, that he can’t wait for the deadline to settle his roster and bring closure for a nervous dressing room. The Bruins’ decision to shell out for Rick Nash of the Rangers led to new theories that impending UFA winger James van Riemsdyk might net the Leafs even more than the players, picks and prospects acquired by New York.
“I’m anxious for the guys, no one needs all this stuff,” Babcock said. “They want it to be over with. A lot of the speculation is total hogwash, but their families are reading it, their wives and girlfriends are reading it, so they end up hearing about it. So just get it over with and get playing.”
Plekanec was to fly south after a stopover in Toronto for a medical. He will likely wear No. 19, having been told multiple times since the trade that his familiar 14 is retired in Toronto for Dave Keon.
I’m really looking forward to the team and the playoffs. It’s a great organization, a great fan base and they’re playing well now.
Tomas Plekanec