The Toronto Wolfpack cut ties with center Cody Hodgson, and welcome Antoine Vermette to the fold.

Toronto, ON). The Toronto Wolfpack traded up and coming center Cody Hodgson, and veterans Scott Hannan, and Guilamme Lantedresse to the NY Highlanders for All around center Antoine Vermette and a 2nd round draft pick in this years draft. The deal relieves a lot of salary for Toronto and provides the team with improved team defense with Vermette's checking acumen.

The deal is another in a series of moves to make the team financially solvent after a terrible season last year when the team only managed 19 wins. Toronto previously traded 3 draft choices to Denver for 4.25 million dollars to get the team back in the black. All moves point to a significant rebuild. However Toronto GM Thom Welch sees it differently, "we like our core with Alex and Nick on the front end. Cody has great upside, but we wanted someone that could defend as well. We need to shore up our defense, and depth in goal but we plan on doing that in the short term with free agency and the draft. "

In another move, Toronto traded the Finnish Flash Teemu Selanne and netminder Steve Mason to Denver Spurs for Bryan Bickell. A salary cap move for sure, but the Pack netted Bickell and his defensive game as well. A pattern for this off season with Toronto. 

Toronto now has shaved several million dollars off their payroll and provided the team with more forward defensive checking. These moves indicate something big may be in store for the squad heading into free agency and the draft. One thing is for sure, things are changing rapidly in Toronto for the upcoming season.