It's always been an inconsequential deal that made sense to make. Marchment wasn't developing. He was stagnating in the AHL, and approaching UFA. We got a better, younger player with more team control. Marchment is now a dime-a-dozen fringe NHL player. If he wasn't 6'4", people wouldn't even remember (or care) that he existed.
I think better may be stretching the truth at the NHL level. Younger and more RFA years, but Marchment still out lived Malgin after the trade. Despite team control.
Marchment has 7 inches on him and plays a really intense physical game. Malgin was a rich man's Petan. His numbers outside the NHL are nice. But, he's a 5'9 skill player trying out for the 4th line, it was never going to work out. Marchment at least had the frame and toolset for an energy player.
I guess the Leafs had no room for Marchment or Malgin and the Panthers did. So, it is possible that the Leafs simply had better forward depth both seasons.