Kessel To Toronto

TSN has the story:

The Boston Bruins have traded their disgruntled sniper to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 1st and a 2nd round pick in 2010, and a 1st round pick in 2011 pending a trade call which is currently underway.

Kessel and the Maple Leafs then quickly agreed to terms on a new five-year, $27 million deal.

So much for the three-way trade with the Rangers that was floated earlier today. Dubi's agent is still fighting with Sather for a deal, with MSG doing their best throughout tonight's broadcast to side with Sather. (No surprise there.)

As for the trade that did go through, both teams win. Toronto gets a big, young scoring threat. Sure Kessel is coming off surgery but if he could come back from cancer, he can come back from a shoulder surgery. Boston, meanwhile, will be in a good position to draft Marc Savard's replacement for when Savvy leaves for greener pastures as a UFA next summer.

Frankly, I didn't think that the Rangers needed Kessel, they need a center and a power play quarterback (and a coach who helps win games for the teams, rather than loses them). Simply said, the Blueshirts hitched their stars on Marian Gaborik - for better or worse.