Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke continued his pre-deadline dealing on Monday, by shipping winger Kris Versteeg to the Philadelphia Flyers for a first and third round draft pick in 2011. This ended a very short experiment, as Toronto initially acquired Versteeg from the Chicago Blackhawks on June 30, 2010 in exchange for Viktor Stalberg and two prospects. It was an experiment because Toronto had hoped Versteeg, given a bigger opportunity, would fill a gaping hole on one of their top-two offensive lines, and provide a boost in offense. All parties should agree that this didn?t work out as everyone had hoped, as Versteeg provided just 14 goals and 35 points in 53 games, along with a -13 rating. These numbers put him on pace for 21-31-52, which is no better than his 22-31-53 rookie season in 2008-09. Personally, I think Versteeg is a very valuable depth winger that is versatile and can play in multiple scenarios and positions on the ice. But Toronto already has a number of forwards in that skill set being asked to play a heavier offensive role (Colby Armstrong, Clarke McArthur and Tyler Bozak to name a few). The acquisition of Joffrey Lupul was also a big part in making Versteeg expendable. In general, trading a versatile 24-year-old is a tough pill to swallow for the Leafs and their fans, but I applaud Burke for admitting something didn?t work, and for selling while the value was still high. Versteeg has an affordable cap hit of $3.083M with another year remaining, so his value was sure to drop a little after this season as he would be entering a contract-year. Toronto will receive Philadelphia?s first round pick and third round pick in 2011. The Leafs, as we all know, don?t own a first round pick for the 2011 Entry Draft, so gaining one is a huge advantage. While the player they select in this spot (late-20?s) likely won?t play in the NHL for a couple of seasons, it is never a bad idea for a rebuilding team to gain draft picks. It gives you the option of using it as trade bait before the deadline, at the draft, or the option of moving up if the right deal presents itself. Not to mention the option to actually draft a player yourself. Burke has already put the third round pick in play, and would like to use it as part of another deal leading up to the deadline. Also in play is the $4M+ they are under the cap this season, creating an opportunity to take on incoming contracts in any trades going forward. The other bonus is the $3M+ in additional cap room the Leafs gain from this trade next season. There is little doubt that they will push hard to sign Brad Richards if he reaches free agency, and it will likely cost around $6M-$7M annually to do so. If they fail on Richards, they will still have a large amount of room available (over $20M as per CapGeek.com) to go after anyone and everyone they please. Grade for Toronto: B+ From Philadelphia?s side, the downfall is obviously giving up a first round pick, as GMs tend to shield these from the public as if they were their own children. After all, young controllable talent is an increasingly valuable asset in the world of salary caps, unrestricted and restricted free agency. But Philadelphia may be a perfect fit for Versteeg. Much like in Chicago, he won?t be asked to carry a big load offensively, and should seamlessly fit into the Flyers? second or third line while getting some power play opportunities. While they do sit on top of the Eastern Conference, their power play is only ranked 17th at the time of this writing. The time is obviously now for Philadelphia to win a Stanley Cup. They made it to the Finals last year, but were ousted by Versteeg?s Blackhawks. GM Paul Holmgren saw up close the damage that Chicago was able to do by rolling out four lines that could score almost at will. Clearly he is aiming to build up the same offensive depth on his own club, despite already being known as one of the deepest teams in the NHL. Don?t discount the fact that Holmgren had front row seats when Versteeg scored five points in six games as his Blackhawks beat the Flyers in the Cup Finals last year. This has potentially caused Holmgren to over-value Versteeg, thus upping the offer to beat out ?multiple? teams vying for Versteeg?s services (according to ESPN?s Scott Burnside). The answer to the question ?Did Philly pay too much?? will only come in the playoffs. If they win the Stanley Cup, Holmgren and the Flyers won?t care one iota how much they paid for Versteeg, only that it helped them meet their end-goal. If they don?t win the Cup, or worse, don?t even make it back to the Finals, the trade would be added to the ?loss? column. But this is the type of gamble a Cup contender needs to make every now and then. Grade for Philadelphia: B, but bordering on incomplete