The Toronto Maple Leafs made their second move of the day, dealing veteran defenseman Hal Gill to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a second and fifth round pick.
Moving Gill frees up over $2 million in cap space next season for the Maple Leafs, giving them a little bit of wiggle room to bring in perhaps affordable young players. Getting back two picks in this year’s draft for Gill will also help the Leafs, considering their former GM dealt away this year’s second round pick.
Gill should also bring some much-needed veteran physical depth to the Penguins blueline, taking some of the load off Brooks Orpik in that regard, and is signed through next season.
Finally, someone to clear the crease for the Pens. Orpik is more of an open-ice checker and despite his size (6'4"), Whitney doesn't use his size well enough in the defensive zone. This seems like a good move for both teams.
I say rare good press for Toronto. Paying Gill's salary for even one season is far too long for me. How many teams have to sit through this guy's performance before someone figures it out? I hope he clears a lot of creases to justify his paycheck.
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
