Brian Burke is at it again.
While this season for the Toronto Maple Leafs has had it's fair share of trade rumours swirling, no one seemed to anticipate the trade that took place on Wednesday afternoon.
The Leafs sent the highly-criticized defenseman Francois Beauchemin to the Anaheim Ducks in return for forward Joffrey Lupul, defenseman Jake Gardiner and a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2013.
Beauchemin heads back to team he played for from 2005-2009 and won a Stanley Cup with in 2006-07. He never really made the impact many hoped he would in Toronto, recording just seven goals and 38 points in 136 games.
By the end of it, he certainly wasn't a fan-favourite.
The Leafs, meanwhile, get two former first-round picks in Lupul and Gardiner, who add even more youth to the club. Lupul, the 27 year old from Saskatchewan, Alberta, was the Ducks' seventh-overall pick in the 2002 Entry Draft.
His best season was in 2005-06, when he scored 28 goals and 53 points.
The winger has bounced around the league during his career, but when healthy has proved that he can be a ...
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Article written by Jon Neely
Maple Leafs Trade Francois Beauchemin: What The Deal Means For Toronto
February 9th, 2011 by Jon Neely Leave a reply »
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