With just under three weeks until the trade deadline, the Anaheim Ducks have made the first move among playoff hopefuls in the West by reacquiring Francois Beauchemin from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Going to Toronto are forward Joffrey Lupul, and the rights to defenseman Jake Gardiner. It was well known that Beauchemin was willing to waive his no-trade clause and had submitted a list of twelve teams to GM Brian Burke, so it was no surprise that he was dealt before the end of the month. The surprise was in the return Burke received for the veteran defenseman. Toronto receives the equivalent of two first round draft picks, albeit one of which is overpaid and underachieving. Lupul was taken 7th overall by Anaheim in 2002, and while he has netted 20+ goals on three occasions, he has struggled to stay healthy; after the season ends, he will have played more than 60 games just once in the last four years. After suffering a series of serious ailments, Lupul has returned to play 26 games in which he has only scored five goals. In Toronto, Lupul will receive plenty of opportunity to establish himself as a top-six forward, and will be a welcome addition to a team that lacks offensive punch. At the same time, hopefully he doesn?t crumble under the immense pressure that the Toronto media is sure to place on him due to his contract: he has two more season after this at a $4.25M cap hit. But being a top-10 draft pick and being traded for Chris Pronger ? twice ? surely has brought its own pressure. Don?t be surprised if Gardiner turns out to be the best player in this deal, and I for one am really surprised that Toronto was able to net a prospect of his calibre, but perhaps Anaheim had to sweeten the pot for Toronto to take back Lupul?s contract? Hockey?s Future grades Gardiner as an 8.0 prospect, with quotes like ?tremendous on-ice awareness?, ?smart positional play?, and ?could eventually blossom into a complete defenseman.? The 17th overall pick in 2008 is currently at the University of Wisconsin, where he has 30 points in 30 games and serves as an alternate captain. The 6?2?, 20-year-old, Minnesota native is expected to complete University before attempting the jump to the NHL. With Anaheim riding a hot streak without captain Ryan Getzlaf, they figure to be more than capable of succeeding offensively without Lupul?s modest numbers once Getzlaf returns to action. Where they have struggled this season, though, has been on the blueline, and it was no secret that GM Bob Murray needed to address this problem before the deadline. There was a gaping hole left by the retirement of Scott Niedermayer. Also missing from last year?s blueline is Steve Eminger (now on the Rangers) and James Wisniewski (went from the Islanders to Montreal this year); Toni Lydman has been a nice free agent addition (19 points, +25), and rookie Cam Fowler has played over his head all season (28 points). The fact that they currently sit seventh is masking the fact that they give up the second most shots per game (34.1) in the NHL, nearly six more than they fire on net themselves. Beauchemin, 30-years-old, has made a career of being trustworthy in his own zone, and by being positionally sound. His current -4 rating should be taken with an entire bag of salt considering the Toronto team that he has played for this season. He has never been a big point producer (career high 36 points in 2005-06), but he will be in a comfortable and familiar environment, having played in Anaheim for four seasons before joining Toronto in 2009. He is a quality leader and teammate that has the trust of Ducks? coach Randy Carlyle. Beauchemin carries a cap hit of $3.8M, which is a shade above average for his skill set, but in line with the majority of the top-four blueliners around the league when it comes to free agent dollars; he has one more year remaining on his contract after this year. In the end, Toronto dealt from a position of depth, having a number of capable defensemen signed to big dollars. They need offense, and if Lupul can get healthy and play a full season, he may provide some goals and a spark. And he better be all of that, because he comes with a big price-tag. Being able to acquire a quality prospect is absolutely icing on the cake, as I figured the Leafs would maybe get a 2nd round pick and a 4th round pick for Beauchemin. Grade for Toronto: A- Anaheim filled a glaring hole by bringing in a quality defenseman that has won a Stanley Cup (with Anaheim, too), and can help out the team defense. They were also able to shed a contract, but they may regret giving up an additional prospect in this deal, especially because Beauchemin may be playing elsewhere by the time Gardiner makes it to the NHL. If Anaheim doesn?t make a deep playoff run this year or next, and Gardiner proves to be an above-average puck-moving defensemen in the NHL, it could look bad. Then again, they got to dump Lupul?s contract, and if he doesn?t become a 25+ goal scorer in the NHL, he wouldn?t be worth what he is paid. But I like the deal for the Leafs a little more than I do the Ducks. Grade for Anaheim: B+