Eastern Conference foes, the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers have both
 been around a long time. In fact, the two teams have met 611 times with the
Maple Leafs holding the edge - a record of 286-221-95-9, or a .553 point
percentage.

While it's hard to call these two teams rivals nowadays, the two teams can be
connected through their trade history over the years. That being said, the
Maple Leafs and Rangers haven't engaged in a deal since early in 2011 - one
we'll get to as we take a closer look at the five most recent trades between
these two franchises.Mediocrity for John MitchellBefore joining the Colorado
Avalanche, John Mitchell was traded to the Rangers by the Maple Leafs. (Chris
Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports)

It was back on Feb. 28, 2011, when the Rangers and Maple Leafs last signed off
on a trade with each other. The Leafs traded forward John Mitchell to the
Rangers for a 2012 seventh-round pick.

Mitchell had debuted with the Maple Leafs in 2008-09 as a 24-year-old and
played in 159 regular season games for the team over parts of three seasons,
but the team didn't have space for him as they headed in a different direction.
 With that, they moved him to the Big Apple where he spent just one season - or
 63 games - collecting 16 points in the process.

From there, he signed as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche, spending
five seasons with them. He last played in the NHL in 2016-17 with the Avs.

The Maple Leafs used the pick - 209th overall - to take Viktor L├╢├╢v. He
debuted with the Leafs in 2015-16 and played just four games during the regular
 season - collecting two assists - before Toronto traded him on Feb. 8, 2018,
to the New Jersey Devils. L├╢├╢v signed with Jokerit Helsinki of the KHL as a
free agent shortly after the deal.Goodbye Saint Nik

Before that, it was March 4, 2009, when the Maple Leafs decided to move Nik
Antropov to the Rangers in exchange for a 2009 second-round pick and a
conditional fourth-round pick in 2010.

As a Leaf, Antropov played 509 regular season games and collected 291 points
over that span. He still ranks 39th on the franchise's all-time points list.
However, like Mitchell, Antropov only stayed in New York for a short stint with
 the Rangers following the trade. He played just 18 games with the Rangers in
2008-09, collecting 13 points to go along with his three in their seven playoff
 games, before signing as a free agent in Atlanta following the season.

The Maple Leafs got themselves Kenny Ryan at 50th overall in 2009 and that was
it. Ryan has since floated around the AHL and ECHL without having made an
appearance at the NHL level. He played the 2017-18 season with the ECHL's
Wheeling Nailers, collecting 10 points in just nine games.The Younger Bathgate

Just under a year before the Antropov deal, the Maple Leafs and Rangers were at
 the trade table again. This time working with some lesser pieces. The Maple
Leafs acquired Ryan Hollweg from the Rangers that day for a 2009 fifth-round
pick that ended up being 150th overall.

Hollweg would play just 25 games for the Leafs in 2008-09, notching two assists
 before he signed as a free agent with the Coyotes in Sept. 28, 2009.Related:
Maple Leafs'; Recent Dealings With the Islanders

As for the pick, the Rangers eventually traded it to the Penguins (who
originally owned the selection) and they took Andy Bathgate, grandson of former
 NHLer Andy Bathgate) with the pick. Unlike the elder, the younger Bathgate
never made the jump to the NHL and last played with the SPHL's Birmingham Bulls
 in 2017-18.Bringing Brian Leetch to Toronto

Before that, you have to go all the way back to March 3, 2004. It was then that
 the Maple Leafs acquired long-time Ranger Brian Leetch and a conditional pick
in exchange for Jarkko Immonen, Maxim Kondratiev, a first-round pick in 2004
and a second-round pick in 2005.

Leetch played just 15 games to close out the year with the Maple Leafs,
tallying two goals and 15 points over that span. He added eight assists in 13
postseason games for Toronto before signing as a free agent in Boston for the
following year.Brian Leetch spent just 15 games with the Maple Leafs following
his move from Broadway. (Wikipedia)

The pick ended up being the 113th overall selection in 2004, when the Leafs
took Roman Kukumberg. Kukumberg came to North America in 2005-06 and played for
 the AHL's Toronto Marlies for 54 games before he jumped back overseas where
he's played in a number of leagues ever since.

Immonen played just 20 games for the Rangers from 2005 to 2007 and had eight
points to show for it. Kondratiev played 29 games for the Rangers and had a
goal and two assists, but he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in January 2006.
So that left the Rangers with the two picks.

The 2004 first-rounder was shipped to Calgary who used it to take Kris Chucko
with the 24th overall selection, while the Rangers would take Michael Sauer
with the 40th overall pick in 2005.

Sauer played 98 games for the Rangers over parts of three seasons and another
five playoff games while racking up a total of 19 points - one of which came in
 those playoff games.Landing the Late Karpovtsev

Finally, back on Oct. 14, 1998, the Maple Leafs landed a solid shutdown
defenceman in Alexander Karpovtsev along with a fourth-round pick in 1999 for
Mathieu Schneider.

Karpovtsev played just two seasons with the Leafs, but managed 44 points in 125
 regular season games. He also suited up for 25 postseason games with the Maple
 Leafs and had another seven points for the blue and white. After leaving the
NHL in 2005-06, Karpovtsev became an assistant coach with the KHL's Lokomotiv
Yaroslavl and passed away in the fatal plane crash on Sept. 7, 2011.

He was one of the first Russians to have their names engraved on the Stanley
Cup as a member of the 1994 Rangers team.

As for the pick, the Maple Leafs landed Mirko Murovic with the 108th overall
selection in 1999, but after he finished in the QMJHL, he joined the Swiss-A
league and played there until 2011-12. He never saw the NHL.

Schneider played 155 games for the Rangers over two seasons and tallied 64
points. But on Aug. 14, 2000, he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles
Kings and that was all the Rangers got out of him.

Now, looking back on these moves, did any of them stand out to you? Were there
any clear winners or losers? Be sure to have you say by leaving your thoughts
in the comment section below, or tune in next time as we'll look at the five
most recent deals between the Maple Leafs and their divisional rival Ottawa
Senators.

The post Maple Leafs'; Recent Dealings With the Rangers appeared first on The
Hockey Writers.

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