I’d like to start this piece off by saying that I’m a huge fan of Joffrey Lupul’s game… when he’s healthy. However, healthy is not an adjective that is actively used to describe Lupul.
On February 9 2011, Brian Burke traded defenseman Francois Beauchemin to the Ducks for Joffrey Lupul, Jake Gardiner, and a draft pick, which looking back appears to be a great trade for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Regardless, that season Lupul had already missed 24 games following back surgery after playing in only 23 games with Anaheim the season prior. At the time, the Toronto Maple Leafs reviewed the case and the team had no concerns with his medical history.