Maple Leafs trade veteran Patrick Marleau to Hurricanes

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded veteran forward Patrick Marleau to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

The Leafs also sent Carolina a conditional first-round pick and a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft and received a 2020 sixth-round pick from the Hurricanes. If Toronto's first-round selection in 2020 is a top-10 pick, the Hurricanes will instead receive a first-round selection in the 2021 NHL draft.

The move helps clear some salary cap space for Toronto by removing Marleau's US$6.25-million cap hit.

Marleau, 39, scored 16 goals and added 21 assists in 82 games during the 2018-19 regular season and added a pair of assists in seven playoff games.

Marleau has 43 goals and 41 assists for 84 points in two seasons with Toronto. The Aneroid, Sask., native has appeared in 1,657 career NHL games between San Jose and Toronto, recording 551 goals and 615 assists.

Marleau signed as a free agent with Toronto on July 2, 2017. He was originally drafted by the Sharks in the first round, second overall, of the 1997 NHL draft.

The trade was announced an hour before the second round of the 2019 NHL draft started in Vancouver.

The Leafs were the only Canadian team not to make a selection in Friday's first round at Rogers Arena.

Toronto traded the 19th pick, minor-league forward Carl Grundstrom and the rights to defence prospect Sean Durzi to the Los Angeles Kings for veteran blue-liner Jake Muzzin back in January.