AP source: Kraken trading Mark Giordano to Maple Leafs

March 20, 2022 Updated Sun., March 20, 2022 at 2:42 p.m.

By Stephen Whyno Associated Press

The Toronto Maple Leafs have agreed to acquire veteran defenseman Mark Giordano from the Seattle Kraken, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Sunday because the deal had not been announced by either team.

Giordano is joining his hometown team, which is looking to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 1967. The 38-year-old former captain of the Kraken and Calgary Flames brings additional leadership to a core that has not won a playoff series in several attempts.

It was not immediately clear the full price Toronto paid for Giordano, though the Leafs acquired a third-round pick from Vancouver for defenseman Travis Dermott. The Canucks got a third-round pick from Ottawa for Travis Hamonic in another deal that set the table for the other movement.

While he recently played his 1,000th NHL game, Giordano has dressed in only 23 playoff games in 16 NHL seasons. His 24th could be part of one of the most scrutinized series in recent history with the pressure again on the Maple Leafs to advance.

It could come against the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning or the Florida Panthers, who made another move before the Monday’s trade deadline and may not be done loading up for a long run. The Panthers acquired defenseman Robert Hagg from the Buffalo Sabres for a sixth-round pick in the draft this summer.

Eastern Conference-leading Florida already traded for Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux and Montreal defenseman Ben Chiarot. With Aaron Ekblad injured and expected to miss at least two weeks, the Panthers could put their top defenseman on long-term injured reserve for the rest of the season and use the salary cap space to accumulate more talent.

Hagg, a 27-year-old Swede, has six seasons of NHL experience and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Florida general manager Bill Zito called Hagg “a tireless competitor” who adds a physical element to the blue line.

The Maple Leafs and other teams used Sunday to position themselves for moves before the deadline. Toronto signed Olympic gold medal-winning Finnish goaltender Harri Sateri and put struggling veteran Petr Mrazek on waivers.

Sateri, 32, signed a pro-rated $750,000 contract for the rest of the season. He needs to clear waivers before joining Toronto, so any other team around the league could claim him and mess with the Leafs’ latest plan to fix their goaltending woes.

Reigning Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is now the top player available, after Giordano went to Toronto.

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