ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Maple Leafs have acquired defenceman Tim Gleason from the Hurricanes in exchange for John-Michael Liles and a prospect.
Gleason has struggled this season with just one assist in 17 games, but his presence is an upgrade to the Toronto blue-line because of his defensive abilities. Offensively, he has 15 goals and 113 assists in 615 NHL games.
The Leafs also sent 2011 sixth-round pick Dennis Robertson to Carolina in the trade. Robertson, a 22-year-old defenceman, is a senior at Brown University.
Liles, 33, spent the majority of the first half of the season with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, appearing in just six Leafs games and going scoreless. The Hurricanes inherit the final two of his contract and the ensuing US$3.875 million cap hit.
Gleason has two more seasons at a cap hit of $US 4 million left on his deal.
The 30-year-old Michigan native was a first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2001. He's a left-handed shot who could fit in as a top-four defenceman for the Leafs.
This is the second major transaction Toronto has made while in Ann Arbor for the Winter Classic. The team announced captain Dion Phaneuf's US$49-million, seven-year contract extension Tuesday before practice.
Liles was a healthy scratch for the Winter Classic, his fourth straight game out of the lineup. Gleason had been held out of games and practices by Carolina in preparation for a move.
Gleason was a member of the silver-medal-winning U.S. team at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. In the past three seasons, he has just one goal and 27 assists in 141 regular-season games.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.