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In less than a week Dave Bolland went from Chicago's Stanley Cup hero to playing for a different team.
The Blackhawks traded Bolland to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday for three draft picks (No. 51 and No. 117 this year, and a fourth-round selection in 2014).
Bolland scored the game-winning goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, completing the Blackhawks' incredible third-period comeback to help the team clinch its second championship in four seasons.
And now he's a member of the Maple Leafs.
Bolland has been a pretty reliable defensive center over the past few seasons who could play against other team's top lines and chip in between 15 and 20 goals. That's a pretty valuable player. He wasn't quite that player this season and seemed to take a step backward for the Blackhawks during an injury-shortened season.
He finished with seven goals and seven assists in 35 games.
He'll be going to a Toronto team that has been in the market for some depth down the middle, and this might all but guarantee Tyler Bozak won't be re-signed by the team and will head to free agency.
Along with the Bolland trade, Chicago also sent forward Michal Frolik to Winnipeg for two draft picks. The Blackhawks seem to be clearing cap space, perhaps in the hope of re-signing unrestricted free agent Bryan Bickell.
