Islanders trade Grabner to Maple Leafs for five players

The New York Islanders on Thursday traded forward Michael Grabner to the Toronto Maple Leafs for five players.

Going to the Islanders are forwards Carter Verhaeghe and Taylor Beck, defensemen Tom Nilsson and Matthew Finn, and goaltender Christopher Gibson.

Grabner, 27, was limited to 34 games last season because of injuries; he missed the first two months of the season recovering from surgery to repair a sports hernia sustained during preseason. He had eight goals and 13 points in the regular season and played in two Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Grabner is entering the final season of a five-year contract with a salary-cap charge of $3 million, according to war-on-ice.com. He can become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

In six seasons with the Vancouver Canucks and Islanders, Grabner has 95 goals and 155 points in 317 games. His best season was 2010-11, when he had 34 goals and 52 points in 76 games with the Islanders.

"He brings exceptional speed," general manager Lou Lamoriello said in video posted by the Maple Leafs website. "There's no question that he's one of the top penalty-killers in the League. He pushes other people and he pushes the defense back.

"He's the type of player that what he has you can't teach."

Of the players acquired by the Islanders, only Beck played in the NHL last season. The 24-year-old left wing had eight goals and 16 points in 62 games with the Nashville Predators. The Maple Leafs had acquired Beck in a trade with the Predators on July 12.

Verhaeghe, 20, had 33 goals and 82 points in 68 games with the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League last season.

Nilsson, 22, had six points in 44 games with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. Finn, 21, split last season between the Marlies and the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL; in 28 AHL games he had one goal and two assists.

Gibson, 22, went 24-17-3 with a 2.42 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in 45 games with the Marlies.

Thanks to the @NYIslanders for the opportunity and the last 5yrs and the fans for all their support..on to a new chapter now #LeafsNation✈️

— Michael Grabner (@grabs40) September 17, 2015