Consistent goal scorers are always in demand, and it's no different with Lupul, who played for three NHL teams in his first four seasons.
Lupul impressed during three high-scoring seasons in the Western Hockey League, most notably in his draft year of 2001-02, when he had 106 points (56 goals) for Medicine Hat before being selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim with the No. 7 pick in the 2002 NHL Draft.
Consistent goal scorers are always in demand, and it's no different with Lupul, who played for three NHL teams in his first four seasons.
Lupul impressed during three high-scoring seasons in the Western Hockey League, most notably in his draft year of 2001-02, when he had 106 points (56 goals) for Medicine Hat before being selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim with the No. 7 pick in the 2002 NHL Draft.
Lupul jumped from the WHL to the NHL for 2003-04 and had 13 goals in 75 games as a rookie. He got his first NHL point with an assist in his first game, Oct. 8, 2003, against the Dallas Stars, and scored his first NHL goal Oct. 24, 2003, against the Buffalo Sabres.
Lupul also had two goals and three points in six games to help Canada win a silver medal at the 2013? World Junior Championship.
After a strong 2005-06 season for the Ducks, Lupul was traded to the Edmonton Oilers on July 3, 2006, with Ladislav Smid, a 2007 first-round draft pick and a 2008 first- and second-rounder for Chris Pronger. After one season in Edmonton, Lupul was on the move again, traded on July 1, 2007, with Jason Smith to the Philadelphia Flyers for Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson and a 2009 third-round draft pick.
Lupul had 25 or more goals in each of his two seasons in Philadelphia, but the Flyers sent him back to Anaheim. On June 26, 2009, Philadelphia traded him, Luca Sbisa, a first-round draft pick in 2009 and 2010 and future considerations for Pronger and Ryan Dingle.
Lupul missed 59 games in 2009-10 because of a back injury that required surgery. He returned 28 games into the 2010-11 season and was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 9, 2011, with Jake Gardiner and a 2013 fourth-round draft pick for Francois Beauchemin.
Lupul had more than 20 goals twice in his first three full seasons in Toronto. In 2011-12 he finished second on the Maple Leafs with 67 points (25 goals).
