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Islander fan in KY
(The Next Level!)
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 Posted - 06/22/2007 : 5:41:18 PM
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (CP) - John Ferguson has acquired a goalie on draft day for the second year in a row.
One year after trading for Andrew Raycroft, the Toronto Maple Leafs GM made another splash Friday, reeling in Vesa Toskala from the San Jose Sharks - by far the most attractive goalie available on the trade market this off-season.
"I heard that five minutes ago, I'm really excited," Toskala told The Canadian Press in a phone interview from his native Tampere, Finland. "I was prepared for something to happen. I had thought that Toronto was one of the places I might end up. So it wasn't a shock. . . .
"It's a big change though, coming from California to Canada, it's huge."
Forward Mark Bell also comes in the deal, in exchange for a package of draft picks: either a first-rounder this year or in 2008 (San Jose's option), a second-round pick this year and a fourth-round pick in '09.
The Leafs added some protection in case the Sharks chose the first-rounder in '08 - San Jose cannot take it if it's top 10 overall. In that case, they get an '09 first-rounder instead.
Forwards Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts, both slated to become unrestricted free agents July 1, re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. Roberts signed a one-year deal worth US$2.5 million, while Recchi's is a one year deal that could be worth up to C$2 million with incentives.
The Colorado Avalanche also re-signed forward Tyler Arnason to a two-year deal.
Toskala, 30, has one year remaining on a contract that pays him only US$1.375 million. Sources told The Canadian Press that Ferguson was already working on signing him to an extension.
Ferguson has been under immense pressure in his market to make a big move and he made a great one Friday. Toskala, 26-10-1 with a 2.35 goals-against average and .908 save percentage this past season. has long been viewed as a capable No. 1 goalie but had to share the net with Evgeni Nabokov in San Jose.
But Toskala wasn't ready to anoint himself No. 1 in Toronto out of respect to Raycroft.
"Raycroft is a good goalie, it'll be good competition," said Toskala. "I hope to see more ice time than last year, but you never know."
He's pumped about coming to a hockey-crazed market.
"I think every player in the world wants to play in Canada at one point in their careers," said Toskala. "The fans, the media, people live for hockey in that country, especially in Toronto. I'm actually very, very excited to take on that challenge."
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