Leafs Trading for Mark Giordano and Colin Blackwell
The veteran blueliner will play for his hometown team.
As per Sportsnet’s Ryan Leslie, the Toronto Maple Leafs are acquiring Seattle Kraken captain Mark Giordano.
I believe Giordano has been traded to Toronto.
— Ryan Leslie (@ryanlesliemedia) March 20, 2022
Elliotte Friedman has seemed to confirm the move:
Ryan is on it https://t.co/Fu70RY1AYu
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 20, 2022
Giordano, 38, is in the last year of a contract with a cap hit of $6.75M. Famously, Giordano bloomed late, playing in Russia before returning to the NHL’s Calgary Flames and establishing himself as a premiere defenceman. Giordano won the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the league’s best defenceman at age 35, and formed a strong pairing with his once and future teammate T.J. Brodie in Calgary.
Claimed by the Seattle Kraken in last summer’s expansion draft, Giordano has been caught up in the Kraken’s disappointing inaugural season, though his defensive impacts remain solid. A Toronto native, Mark was apparently keen to come home to the Maple Leafs, and apparently the Leafs returned the feeling. Where he fits in as a left shot will be interesting, but he’s a dependable veteran with an illustrious track record.
Welcome to Toronto, Mark!
Update:
Per what I’m told, an update on the reported @MapleLeafs and @SeattleKraken trade for Giordano and Colin Blackwell ; The @MapleLeafs are doing some salary cap gymnastics to make the money work for this deal to go final. @espn @NHLNetwork #HockeyTwitter
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) March 20, 2022
Weekes is very reliable on this stuff.
Colin Blackwell is a utility forward on a lovely contract with an AAV of $725,000. He is 28, was taken by the Kraken from the Rangers, and he seems from his stats to be worth a bit more than he’s paid. Yes, that is what the Leafs love to hear.
His skills are tilted towards defence, and he has a consistently value-added shot. He looks like Seattle has moved him up the lineup in recent weeks, and he’s played, in a way reminiscent of David Kämpf in Chicago, against top line players more than most bottom-six forwards do.