BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins traded goalie Andrew Raycroft on

Saturday to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rights to goalie prospect

Tuukka Rask.

Raycroft won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 2004

when he was 29-18-9 with a goals-against average of 2.05.

But last season the 26-year-old played poorly to start the

season, then was hampered by a right knee injury and had a 8-19-2

record with a 3.72 goals against average. The emergence of rookie

Hannu Toivonen and the play of Tim Thomas last year made Raycroft

expendable.

"The blame probably lies somewhere in the middle," said Boston

interm general manager Jeff Gorton, who was at the NHL draft in

Vancouver. "It just didn't work out. The year didn't go the way he

wanted or we wanted. I think it got to Andrew to be quite honest. I

think the situation got to him, I think the trade of Joe Thornton

got to him, I think a lot of things got to him."

The 19-year-old Rask, who is from Finland, was Toronto's

first-round pick, 21st overall, last year, but has not yet played

in North America.

He played last season with Ilves Tampere of the Finnish Elite

League where he had a 12-8-7 record with a 2.09 goals against

average.

The Maple Leafs were looking for goaltending help because they

aren't expected to exercise a contract option for next year on

41-year-old Ed Belfour, whose oft-injured back required surgery

before the end of the last regular season.

"We're really pleased with the situation with our goaltending

right now," Toronto general manager John Ferguson Jr. said. "It's

an area we thought we needed to address and we've done that."

Ferguson hadn't talked to Raycroft, who was traveling in Europe

and still needs a contract for next season. But Ferguson sounded

confident the Ontario native would be excited about a fresh chance

close to home.

"We know he's going to be really excited to be a part of the

organization and we're really excited to have him," Ferguson said.

"We got a 26-year-old goalie with a tremendous future in front of

him as well."