An Analytical Look at the Leafs’ July 1st Acquisitions

A day that included five signings (1 RFA, 4 UFA) from Shanahan and co. was largely overshadowed by a trade that sent Phil Kessel (well, 85% of him), Pittsburgh’s 2^nd round pick in 2016 (previously acquired for Winnik at the trade deadline), Tim Erixon and Tyler Biggs to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a package that included the likes of 2014 1^st round pick Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, a lottery-protected 1^st round pick in 2016, a 3^rd round pick in 2016 and Nick Spaling. In this piece, we will divert our attention away from the Kessel fiasco for a moment and examine Toronto’s inconspicuous yet calculated plunge into this year’s free agent pool.