ESPN.com - Sharks send captain Nolan to Maple Leafs

ESPN.com: NHL

Wednesday, March 5, 2003
Updated: March 9, 12:07 PM ET
Sharks send captain Nolan to Maple Leafs

Associated Press

Owen Nolan, the San Jose Sharks' franchise scoring leader and their captain since 1998, was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

Wed., March 5
This is a very good deal for Toronto for a couple of reasons. Nolan is one of the premiere power forwards in the league and has played very well lately. And the fact the Leafs didn't have to give up Nik Antropov in the deal is a big plus for them. Nolan isn't a natural leader -- which was part of the preceived problem in San Jose -- so this is a good fit for him. The Leafs get a player who will help their power play and bring even more of a nasty edge to their team.

Look for Ottawa to add another gritty player to combat this move. Nolan is the first big chip to go -- often the dominoes fall after the first big move.

The Sharks get Alyn McCauley, who's proven to be a third-line player; a prospect in Brad Boyes, who appears to be able to score -- he leads the St. John's Maple Leafs, their AHL affiliate, in scoring (the question is, will he be able to score at the NHL level?); and a first-round pick that will depend on where San Jose finishes.

Toronto definitely made a fantastic deal, one that makes the Leafs far more dangerous in the playoffs than they were a day ago.

The Sharks acquired center Alyn McCauley, highly regarded prospect Brad Boyes and a first-round draft pick from the Maple Leafs, who shook their reputation for trading timidity with an expensive pickup for their playoff run.

The deal, rumored for weeks, marks the end of an era in San Jose, where general manager Dean Lombardi built his team around the moody power forward. With Nolan as their captain, the Sharks improved their points total in every season until their disappointing current campaign.

Lombardi went to Nolan's house Wednesday night to break the news. They have known each other since Nolan was an 18-year-old prospect and Lombardi was an assistant general manager in Minnesota.

"It's a tough decision emotionally when you've been with a player through a six-year rebuilding process and we're not where we hope to be,'' Lombardi said.

"Given a contract with $13 million on it, we're not getting the play to reflect the contract. There's just a few teams interested in a top player. This was the best deal we could get ... and it's a good deal.''

Since arriving in San Jose in 1995 in a deal with Colorado, Nolan has become the Sharks' franchise leader in goals, assists and points. He is second to defenseman Mike Rathje in games played.

Nolan, who grew up in Ontario and played for the gold medal-winning Canadian Olympic team in Salt Lake City, has 22 goals, 20 assists and 91 penalty minutes in 61 games this season. In 836 career games -- 568 with the Sharks -- he has 323 goals, 352 assists and 1,474 penalty minutes.

"He's disappointed like everyone else that he didn't reach the next step in his maturity here,'' Lombardi said. "Hopefully, he'll do it in Toronto.''

McCauley has six goals and nine assists in 64 games for the Leafs this season, shuffling back and forth on coach Pat Quinn's lines while attempting to recapture the form that made him an important contributor to Toronto's run to the Eastern Conference finals last season. He has 33 goals and 49 assists in 304 career NHL games.

Boyes was the Leafs' first choice, 24th overall, in the 2000 draft. He is considered the top prospect in the Maple Leafs' system, and the Sharks were happy to acquire another speedy young forward for Nolan.

"It's obviously a big deal,'' said Bill Watters, assistant to Quinn, who is also Toronto's general manager.

Lombardi said Boyes will be assigned to the Sharks' top affiliate in Cleveland, but he'll have a good chance to make the Sharks next season.

Fantasy Focus

Can fantasy owners expect improved production out of Owen Nolan in Toronto, or should they try and deal the winger before fantasy's trade deadline? Nolan would look great alongside Mats Sundin and Gary Roberts on a potential top line, but are the Leafs counting on having that line at full strength before the playoffs? Nolan has been bothered by a bad back in recent days, missing the team's game in Edmonton on Tuesday. Even if Nolan is ready to make his Toronto debut on Saturday, the Leafs have little reason to push him hard in the final 14 regular-season games. Nolan probably has more fantasy value in trade talks than in your lineup. Expect his arrival to further damage Mikael Renberg's value. Despite seeing some first-line time in recent games, Renberg hasn't recorded a point in Toronto's last seven games.

Alyn McCauley should see more minutes in San Jose, but he has yet to do anything at the NHL level to suggest he'll emerge as a legitimate fantasy threat. Brad Boyes is a more intriguing fantasy sleeper, but will the Sharks give him a taste of NHL action? His AHL scoring prowess, 51 points in 65 games this season, suggests he could make an instant impact on fantasy teams looking for one final forward to work into their late-season rotation.
--Graham Hays

Check out ESPN's Fantasy Hockey for more news.

Nolan was one of the most sought-after players as the March 11 NHL trade deadline approaches, though many teams shied away from the inventive contract he signed with the Sharks in 2000. He will make more than $13 million over the next two seasons.

Nolan's talent is undeniable, but his consistency, his health and his leadership have all been called into question in recent years. Except for 1999-00, when he had 84 points to finish sixth in the NHL in scoring, four of Nolan's last five years with San Jose have been statistically disappointing.

In addition, there have been plenty of rumblings about his ability to rally the Sharks as their captain. Several Sharks aren't on friendly terms with Nolan, while others resent his impulsiveness -- such as the hit on Dallas' Grant Marshall two years ago that earned him a one-month suspension in the heat of a playoff race.

Nolan has struggled all season with a back injury, though he has played well in the last six weeks when rumors of trades heated up. Nolan said he didn't want to be traded -- among other reasons, he has extensive business interests in San Jose, and his wife is pregnant with their first child.

After evaluations, the Maple Leafs were satisfied enough with Nolan's physical condition to trade for him.

"The guy's a power forward. They're not always in mint condition,'' Lombardi said. "I have no doubt he's ready to play for them.''

Quinn got to see Nolan firsthand during the Olympics, when he coached the 31-year-old forward. Nolan could flourish with the Leafs, where captain Mats Sundin is a veteran leader who will take much of the spotlight off Nolan.

"Our goal is to strengthen our team for the playoffs,'' Watters said. "We've done it at forward and now we're going to try to do it on defense. That's our next goal.''

By dealing Nolan, the Sharks appear to have given up on chasing a playoff spot -- though Lombardi had already conceded the point by actively trying to move Nolan and defenseman Bryan Marchment for weeks. They are 11 points behind eighth-place Edmonton in the Western Conference, and Lombardi hinted that more deals might be coming.

"One thing I told him, he's going to the perfect coach. Under Pat Quinn, he fits,'' Lombardi said. "At this stage in his career, to grow up south of Toronto and to play in Toronto is something special. I'm glad the best deal for us was in Toronto.''