Trade Alert: Leafs minor-league affiliate makes two transactions

The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced two transactions yesterday, acquiring veteran forward Chris Francis from the Quad City Mallards then flipping Francis along with rookie forward Michael Turner to the Wheeling Nailers for forward Hunter Fejes.

The 23-year-old Fejes has 16 goals, third in the ECHL, and 27 points in 32 games with Wheeling this season. The sophomore has totalled 65 points in 80 career ECHL games and one goal and four assists in the AHL. He was a sixth-round selection (178th overall) of the Arizona Coyotes, then Phoenix Coyotes, in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, but is now officially without NHL affiliation.

No word yet on how this move could impact the lineup of the Leafs and their AHL affiliate the Toronto Marlies, but more organizational depth is never a bad thing, especially with the NHL’s February 26th trade deadline looming on the horizon.