Maple Leafs answer moves by rivals, trading for Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenceman Jake McCabe and forward Sam Lafferty in a trade with Chicago.

The Maple Leafs also get conditional fifth-round draft picks in 2024 and 2025.

Chicago receives forwards Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev, a conditional first-round selection in 2025 (top 10 protected) and a second-round selection in 2026.

It also retains 50 per cent of McCabe's salary. He is in the second year of a four-year, $16-million US contract.

The 29-year-old McCabe has two goals and 20 points in 55 games this season.

McCabe, originally drafted in the second round (44th overall) of the 2012 draft by Buffalo, has 24 goals and 119 points  in 483 NHL regular-season contests with the Sabres and Chicago.

Lafferty, 27, has 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 51 games this season.

He has 21 goals and 53 points in 191 NHL regular-season outings with Pittsburgh and Chicago.

Anderson has two goals and three points in 14 games with the Leafs this season, and 27 points in 30 games with the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies.

Gogolev has 21 goals 48 points in 33 appearances with the ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers.

The Maple Leafs' Eastern Conference rivals have bolstered their rosters of late.

On Sunday, the New Jersey Devils dealt for much sought-after forward Timo Meier, who scored 31 goals and 52 points assists in 57 games this season for San Jose.

Later in the day, Tampa Bay — which is likely to face Toronto in an opening round playoff series — added an element of grit to its lineup by acquiring forward Tanner Jeannot from Nashville for third-year defenceman Cal Foote and five draft picks.

And Boston, which has a 13-point lead over the Maple Leafs atop the Atlantic Division, acquired defenceman Dmitry Orlov