Winnipeg Jets GM Mike Smith called Leafs GM Jason Taylor in the early hours of the morning. Smith had seen how well Ron Wilson was performing after the last Jets-Leafs trade, and Smith was looking to continue diving deeper into a rebuild. He wanted to know if Taylor would be interested in another veteran ex-Leaf: Randy Carlyle. Smith knew it wouldn’t be one-for-one, but he wanted an All Star to anchor his blueline both now and into the future. He wanted Al Iafrate. Iafrate was currently 2nd on the Leafs with 15 goals, and 4th in points with 34… Smith was asking a lot. This would need to be a lot bigger.
Taylor advised that in order to pry Iafrate away, he would want to expand the deal to include a defenseman he’d had his eye on for some time: Fredrik Olausson. Taylor offered to send Anders Eldebrink the other way; Eldebrink had played well, but ended up in the press box after Borje Salming discovered the fountain of youth. Smith hesitated; he clearly felt Iafrate was better than Olausson, but was on the fence. Taylor also tried something else while he had Smith on the line. “I know you have Teemu Selanne on the injured reserve, and his contract is expensive. Our budget can easily take that hit… and I’d be willing to give you anyone on our farm team for him.” Smith exhaled sharply… he would consult his scouting staff and come back.
Game 42 - 4-0 L v BUF
Talk about being goalied… Tom Barrasso stopped all 39 shots, while Ed Belfour was horrible (giving up 4 goals on 21 shots). Olczyk did his best, playing a strong two-way game. Three other Leafs had 5 shots each (Zarley Zalapski, Mike Hough and Daniel Marois). But Barrasso was unbeatable, and the entire Sabres blueline played some phenomenal defense.
NHL News: BOS C Ken Linseman suffered a ruptured tendon in his foot vs QUE, and would miss three months.
Mike Smith called Taylor back with his demand: Mike Eastwood and Jamie Baker off of Toronto’s farm team, AND a 1st round pick. Taylor was definitely surprised, but not shocked. Smith clearly knew Selanne was a fantastic prospect, but the prodding around Winnipeg’s budget must have resonated. Eastwood was a solid defensive prospect, while Baker was one of the AHL Saints’ top scorers (17-17-34 in 38 games). But Tayor REALLY wanted Selanne in the Leafs pipeline. After pausing, he countered: “You can have Eastwood and Baker, but to get a high pick I’d want some two-way forward depth. Tell you what: give me Danton Cole, and I’ll give you a 2nd round pick for either this year or next year.” Smith told him he’d get back to him after consulting his scouts.
Game 43 - 4-3 W v VAN
A very even game where the lead changed hands a few times. Both Belfour and Steve Weeks turned in solid performances with 30 and 33 saves respectively. And both teams had very balanced offensive contributions, with the Leafs once again getting a clutch SHG from Dave Reid. But in the end, Eddie O’s goal with 6 minutes left was the winner.
Mike Smith was on the line again, and Taylor awaited anxiously. “We want your 89 2nd.” Taylor silently fist pumped, and the deal was finalized that afternoon with the NHL’s office. Winnipeg traded
D Randy Carlyle, 32, D Fredrik Olausson, 22, RW Danton Cole, 21 and RW Teemu Selanne, 18 in exchange for D Al Iafrate, 22, D Anders Eldebrink, 28, C Mike Eastwood, 21, C Jamie Baker, 22 and a 2nd round pick in 1989.
This was another big blockbuster, one that Taylor hoped would get the Leafs back into their November form and out of the .500 performances of October and December. The Toronto media had a field day with Taylor at his press conference, as Toronto introduced the four new Maple Leafs ahead of that evening’s game with Washington.
Here are the players Winnipeg received:
D Al Iafrate, 22
15-30-35 and +5 in 41GP so far this year, after a breakout 22-30-52 1987-88 campaign. Iafrate had been with Toronto for his entire 331-game career, and was extremely popular with the Leafs’ faithful. His booming slapshot and incredible speed make him a dangerous threat, especially on the powerplay. The only knock is that he can sometimes get under the skin of his own teammates, and there were questions about his durability. In Winnipeg, Iafrate will be the unquestioned leader of their defense corps, and he will be a pleasure to watch with Dale Hawerchuk on the Jets PP.
D Anders Eldebrink, 28
1-8-9 and -1 in 21GP this season. Eldebrink ihad been playing in Sweden since a brief stint in the NHL (1981-1983) before the Leafs brought him back to North America this past offseason. Eldebrink was signed in order to shore up the Leafs too-thin blueline; he is incredibly gifted as an offensive defenseman, especially his puckhandling. But he was also responsible in his own zone, and well liked by teammates. He started the season on the third pair, with Borje Salming as the #7 D. But Salming proved he still has some gas left in the tank, and Eldebrink has sat out more than he has played this year. He is a very talented D, just not enough to start over a living legend.
C Mike Eastwood, 21
13-15-27 and -8 in 37GP (AHL) this season. Drafted by Toronto in the 5th round of the 1987 draft, Eastwood played collegiate hockey during the 87-88 season and signed with Toronto in August ‘88. Eastwood is projected to be an excellent defensive forward, but also has potential to be a solid playmaker. He was the top C prospect in Toronto’s farm system.
C Jamie Baker, 22
17-17-34 in 38GP (AHL) this season. Baker was undrafted, but was identified by the Leafs’ new scouts as worth taking a flyer on. A solid playmaker who could also play a physical, grinding style. However, the AHL coaching staff did advise Taylor that Baker could become surly with little notice; whether his attitude is worth the talent level is now for Winnipeg to decide.
Toronto also sent their 2nd round pick in 1989 to Winnipeg
And here are the players Toronto received:
D Randy Carlyle, 32
12-13-25 and -20 in 32GP with the Jets this season. Carlyle started his NHL career with Toronto, won a Norris with Pittsburgh (where he was also their Captain), and has been with Winnipeg for parts of six seasons. A veteran with >800 games under his belt, Carlyle is still able to consistently chip in 50 points on a typically-weak Jets squad. He is also regarded as a Superstar, and can play any role on the blueline: offensive, two-way or defensive. And he is an ultimate professional who can provide steady leadership for a young Leafs team.
D Fredrik Olausson, 22
7-19-26 and -14 in 39 GP this season. Olausson is in his third NHL season, with 149 games under his belt. Olausson is a lot like a younger Carlyle; he is skilled offensively, good in the locker room and isn’t afraid to get physical. Iafrate is superior offensively, but Leafs’ management believes Olausson will develop into a better all-round defenseman.
RW Danton Cole, 21
7-18-25 and -4 in 36 GP (AHL) this season. Cole was drafted by the Jets in the 6th round of the 1985 draft, but had yet to play in the NHL. He spent three seasons in US Collegiate hockey, and has spent the 88-89 season with the AHL Moncton Hawks. Cole projects to be a great defensive forwards, but his offensive upside is likely quite limited. After another season or two of development, he may be a good fit either on a checking line or an energy line.
RW Teemu Selanne, 18
6-1-7 and -2 in 17 GP this season. Teemu had been drafted in the 1st round by the Jets in this past summer’s Entry Draft. He was quite happy to continue playing in Finland, meaning the Jets had to give him a massive $295k/yr contract to bring him over. Before he skated on NHL ice, Selanne was making nearly as much as Jets’ legend Hawerchuk, which ruffled feathers among Jets players. On top of that, Selanne suffered a major injury (partially torn labrum) just a week ago; and prior to that he had only shown flashes of the goal scoring ability the Jets were hoping for. Jets’ GM Mike Smith was clearly worried about Selanne’s ability to ramp up, and his durability; especially at that price tag. This is a risky bet on Taylor’s part; parting with two of their top forward prospects AND a 2nd round pick was a large price to pay.
Leafs fans were upset about the loss of Iafrate, but they were thrilled to get a top-tier veteran like Carlyle (especially with him being an ex-Leaf!)
Taylor decided to shift things up on the blueline:
- Zarley Zalapski was bumped up to the 1st pair, taking Iafrate’s spot on Brad Marsh’s left side. Taylor was interested in seeing what the rookie could do with Olczyk and Leeman.
- Carlyle and Olausson were already familiar with one another, so they became the second pair.
- Borje Salming would now be paired with Craig Muni, which should allow Salming to take some risks. Todd Gill was unfortunately now the odd man out, but he seemed to take it in stride; he was confident knowing the team had just extended him.
Selanne was put on Toronto’s IR, and Cole was sent to Newmarket.
One tricky aspect was jersey numbers. Carlyle absolutely insisted on #8, which belonged to fellow ex-Jet Doug Smail. Carlyle bought Smail a Rolex, but Smail was definitely irked at having to give up his number. He will wear #22 the rest of the year.