On this day in 2011, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Tomas Kaberle to the Boston Bruins in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in 2023, and Joe Colborne.
Two years after the Maple Leafs selected Kaberle as the 204th overall pick in the 1996 Draft, and the prospect made waves in 1998 as he joined the Leafs roster for the first time.
His rookie season was strong as the market saw him post 22 points in 57 games, but that was just the beginning.
Throughout the years, Kaberle established himself as a top defenceman for the franchise. His greatest asset was his offensive abilities, as he ranks second in franchise history for scoring among defencemen with 520 points. However, he is still far from Borje Salming, who recorded 768 points as a Maple Leaf.
His best performance came throughout the 2005-06 campaign when the blueliner scored nine goals and 67 points. That same season, the Leafs led all 30 teams for power-play goals scored at 107; Kaberle was on the ice for 90 percent of those goals.
However, during his tenure in Toronto, the Leafs struggled to find their way in the postseason, falling short of their competitors.
Kaberle never wanted to leave the Toronto club, but after giving an unachievable price for a contract extension his no-trade clause was waived, sending the 32-year-old to the Bruins. Throughout 12 seasons, Kaberle recorded 83 goals and 520 points for the Leafs.
Although the trade sent waves of mixed emotions through the Toronto market, Kaberle played his part in contributing to his new team to the best of his abilities. However, coming back to Toronto was never easy.
“It’s mixed feelings, obviously,” Kaberle told The Globe and Mail‘s James Mirtle. “Being here for so long and being in the opposition room right now is difficult, but you know, everybody’s done it before who’s gotten traded.”
Kaberle scored one goal and nine points throughout the Bruins’ 24 regular season contests. In the playoffs, he contributed 11 points and aided the Bruins in capturing a Stanley Cup Championship. He signed as a free agent with the Carolina Hurricanes in July 2011. Colborne scored one goal and six points in 16 games throughout three seasons. He was traded to the Calgary Flames in 2013.
On the other hand, Colborne was now a member of the Maple Leafs. The forward spent the first two seasons after being selected by the Bruins 16th overall in 2008 with the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins. After the trade, he made his NHL debut with the Leafs but was reassigned to the Toronto Marlies.
The first-round pick that Toronto acquired in 2011 was later traded to the Anaheim Ducks, which saw them select Rickard Rakell. The forward played throughout 10 seasons with the Ducks, recording 154 goals and 339 points. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2022.
The second-round pick the Leafs acquired for the 2012 Draft was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche traded the pick to the Washington Capitals, who then traded the selection to the Dallas Stars. The Stars chose Mike Winther.
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