Capitals trade Laich, 2nd-rounder to Maple Leafs for Winnik
Lou Lamoriello keeps selling players and adding draft picks.
The Toronto Maple Leafs traded forward Daniel Winnik and a fifth-round pick in 2016 to the Washington Capitals on Sunday in exchange for forward Brooks Laich, defenseman Connor Carrick, and a second-round pick in this year's draft, the teams announced.
This is the second consecutive season the Maple Leafs have dealt Winnik at the trade deadline: They traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins last year before he re-signed in Toronto as a free agent. The 30-year-old will now have an opportunity to win the Cup with the league-best Capitals.
There was no salary retained in the deal, meaning the Leafs will pay Laich's full $4.5-million deal for the rest of this season and next.
Toronto's ability to take his full salary is believed to have earned the Leafs the second-rounder - which gives them eight picks in the first four rounds of June's draft.
By shedding Laich's salary, the Capitals now have around $2.2 million in cap space heading into Monday's trade deadline, and have more money to use this coming offseason.
For the Caps, shedding Laich's contract from next season helps in re-signing other players (Johansson, Wilson, Orlov among RFAs...)
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) February 29, 2016
The 32-year-old, who was waived Saturday in an attempt to clear cap space, has a goal and six assists in 60 games this season.
Carrick, 21, was a fifth-round selection by the Capitals in 2013. The right-handed blue-liner has a goal and five assists in 37 career NHL games. He's spent the majority of this season with the AHL's Hershey Bears.