Maple Leafs acquire Nick Foligno from Blue Jackets in 3-team deal
Toronto also adds goalie David Rittich from Calgary for a 2022 3rd-round pick
The Columbus Blue Jackets traded captain Nick Foligno to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday as part of a three-team deal.
Columbus receives a 2021 first- and 2022 fourth-round pick from Toronto and retains half of Foligno's $5.5 million US salary-cap hit. The San Jose Sharks get a 2021 fourth-rounder from Toronto for taking 25 per cent of Foligno's salary to make it work on the Maple Leafs' books.
Toronto also gets forward Stefan Noesen from San Jose.
"Given where we are right now, this move made sense for us as an organization and for Nick," Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said.
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Foligno, 33, has seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 42 games this season. He has been the captain of the Blue Jackets for the past six seasons.
Via text message from Nick Foligno:<br><br>``Really excited for the opportunity ! Bittersweet with how much has been invested in Columbus, but a chance to win a Cup is all you can ask for and I truly feel it’s a great group in Toronto. Now the work begins.’’
—@PierreVLeBrun"Nick Foligno has been everything you'd want in a captain, in a representative of your team and ambassador for your community," Kekalainen said. "His contributions to the Blue Jackets franchise and the impact he and his family have had off the ice is immeasurable."
Foligno, whose father played parts of four seasons for Toronto, gives the North Division-leading Maple Leafs some grit and experience up front. They have failed to get out of the first round with this core.
Leafs acquire Rittich from Flames
The Toronto Maple Leafs are fortifying their crease, acquiring goalie David Rittich from the Calgary Flames.
The Flames (17-21-3) received Toronto's third-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft in the trade and Calgary will retain 50 per cent of Rittich's salary cap hit.
Rittich has a 4-7-1 record with a .904 save percentage and 2.90 goals-against average this season, playing back up to the Flames' top off-season acquisition, Jacob Markstrom.
Rittich, a 28 year old from Jihlava, Czech Republic, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
He's played all five seasons of his NHL career in Calgary, posting a 63-39-15 record with a .908 save percentage and 2.83 goals-against average.
The Leafs (28-10-3) have been looking for depth in goal as starter Frederik Andersen deals with a nagging lower-body injury.
Toronto sits atop the all-Canadian North Division.
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with files from The Associated Press
