The year is 2020, and the NHL is just weeks from shutting down as a result of COVID-19. The Toronto Maple Leafs are preparing for a playoff run while the Los Angeles Kings are in the midst of their rebuild. On Feb. 5, the Kings sent Jack Campbell and Kyle Clifford to Toronto for Trevor Moore and third-round selections in the 2020 and 2021 Drafts.
At the time, it was not seen as a big trade on either side. The Kings were selling off a backup goaltender and depth forward for a depth forward and two mid-round selections. However, two players in the deal have become big names in the sport of hockey, and both sides have come out happy.
Los Angeles Kings, A
At the time of the trade, Moore had just three goals and five points in 27 games in Toronto. He was viewed as a young forward with limited promise. He had done well in college with the University of Denver and put up strong numbers with the Toronto Marlies, but never translated his success to the NHL. Once acquired, he almost immediately became an impact player.
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He put up just five points in 15 games before the pandemic began, but became a different player afterwards. He has been an elite middle six presence who provides strong defense and can progress the puck through the neutral zone. In a career year this season, he has 25 goals and 45 points in 64 games and has been a pivotal contributor to the Kings’ success.
In addition to Moore, the Kings acquired two draft picks. They traded the 2021 selection to the Calgary Flames where they took Cameron Whynot, but the Kings took Alex Laferriere in 2020. In his first season with the Kings, he has had his fair share of struggles but is showing the potential of becoming a 20-goal scorer at the NHL level in the future.
All the Kings gave up were two players who were never going to fit their long-term outlook, and they have gotten two relevant forwards at the NHL level. Also, their patience, trust, and vision in Moore have provided them with a great middle-six forward who is now in his prime.
Toronto Maple Leafs, B+
Typically win-win trades are hard to come by in sports, but this was one of them. While it is hard to assess Campbell’s first season in Toronto due to the season being cut short, the rest of his tenure was strong.
The discussion around Campbell is always an intriguing one for hockey fans since today he sits in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, possesses one of the worst contracts in the league and had an underwhelming 1-4-0 record to start the season. However, as a Leaf, it was a lot different. While he had his fair share of struggles, he also performed at an elite level on many occasions. For a goaltender who was not expected to be more than a backup, he impressed and provided value to a team that needed help in the goaltending department.
In the 2020-21 season, Campbell finished seventh in the league with 8.4 goals saved above expected (GSAx), according to Moneypuck. He took a team with insecurity in the goaltending department and provided a high level of play on a semi-regular basis. The following season was not as impressive, posting a minus-2.3 GSAx. Nonetheless, he did what was asked of him, and it is not his fault he was expected to carry a young and developing team that struggled in other parts of the roster.
The other part of the trade was acquiring Kyle Clifford. Each of the past few seasons, the Maple Leafs have acquired depth forwards who are a non-factor in the team’s success. Clifford fits that category, as he was a strong forward in the team’s bottom six, but never made a significant impact. Today, he plays for the Marlies where he has been performing at around half a point per game.
Over four years later, this trade is no doubt a better trade for one side than the other, but it is easy to say both teams came out happy with how everything played out. The Maple Leafs got what they wanted out of Campbell and Clifford, and the Kings are poised to take advantage of Moore’s career year this season in a playoff run.