The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded captain Dion Phaneuf to the Ottawa Senators in a nine player deal on Tuesday.
The trade also includes forward Matt Frattin, forward Casey Bailey, forward Ryan Rupert and defence prospect Cody Donaghey.
READ MORE: Dion Phaneuf by the numbers: a look at the new Ottawa Senators defenceman
In return, the Leafs acquired defenceman Jared Cowen, forwards Colin Greening, Milan Michalek and Tobias Lindberg as well as Ottawa’s second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.
In a media release, the Senators said no salary will be retained by either team on the trade.
“We don’t expect him to come in here to be a saviour,” Senators general manager Bryan Murray said. “We expect him to come here and just be the hockey player he is.”
“He’s a real good person. (He) competes, he wants to win,” Murray said.
“He’s been in a tough environment. He’s been judged very tough in the environment he’s in.”
Murray said he had no qualms about dealing with the archrival Maple Leafs.
“It helps them, it helps us, those are good deals,” he said.
“We’ll battle them on the ice, they’ll battle us on the ice …but at the end of the day we’re in a business that is about winning, and all I’m trying to do is help the Ottawa Senators be a winner.”
Phaneuf joins the Senators almost six years to the day from a Jan. 31 2010 trade to Toronto, one that saw the Leafs send four players to Calgary in exchange for their future captain.
Phaneuf played 423 games in a Leafs uniform through parts of seven seasons.
He recorded 45 goals and 151 assists and 598 penalty minutes.
He was named the 18th captain in Maple Leafs history on June 14, 2010.
In 51 games this season, Phaneuf tallied 3 goals and 21 assists.
The Senators announced the 30-year-old defenceman will wear the number 2 for his new club.
Mayor John Tory took to Twitter moments after the trade announcement to thank Phaneuf on his time in Toronto while also welcoming the new players.
With files from The Canadian Press.
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