TORONTO – The Maple Leafs have traded winger Kasperi Kapanen to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a multi-player deal that also lands Toronto a first-round draft pick.
Kapanen, defence prospect Jesper Lindgren and winger Pontus Aberg go to the Penguins for the 15th overall pick in this year’s draft, forwards Evan Rodrigues and Filip Hallander and defenceman David Warsofsky.
The trade also allows Toronto to clear some cap space. Kapanen has a cap hit of US$3.2 million for the next two years.
Toronto now has a first-round pick back in this year’s draft after trading its first-rounder (13th overall) to the Carolina Hurricanes last summer.
The trade involves two teams eliminated in the qualifying round of the NHL’s post-season earlier this month.
Kapanen, 24, returns to the organization that drafted him in the first round (22nd overall) in 2014.