On This Day, the Bruins Fleeced the Maple Leafs

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Dylan Robillard
June 25, 2023 (7:58 PM)

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On June 24, 2006 the Toronto Maple Leafs ended up trading away the soon to be Bruins best goalie of all time.

Maple Leafs General Manager, John Ferguson Jr acquired Andrew Raycroft in return for Tuuka Rask.

At the time the Leafs already had two young goalies in their system, Justin Pogge and Tuukka Rask. So John Ferguson Jr decided to move on from Tuuka Rask in xchange for the former Calder Memorial Trophy winner, Raycroft.

This would be a brutal misstep in the Leafs history, adding to that the Bruins would release Raycroft that off-season if they were unable to find a trading partner. That would have allowed Toronto to have signed him without giving up a future star.

Reportedly the Bruins would have tried to make a deal for Pogge instead of Rask. Yet the Bruins fresh new general manager in Peter Chiarelli, had absolutely fleeced the Leafs.

Raycroft lasted just two seasons with the Leafs. He played 72 games in the 2006-07 season and 19 the following year. Then, two years to the day of that terrible trade, the Leafs placed Raycroft on waivers and later bought out the remainder of his contract.

Meanwhile, Rask went on to have an incredible career. Playing 488 more NHL games than Pogge. In that time, he went on to be named an NHL All-Star, won a Vezina Trophy, and a Stanley Cup. He also holds Bruins franchise records for having played the most games as a goalie and earning the most franchise wins.