The Toronto Rock sacrificed a little of the present for the future on Friday.

Veteran defenceman Phil Sanderson was dealt to the Buffalo Bandits for a first-round pick in this year's National Lacrosse League entry draft.

Sanderson, 30, had three goals, six points and 75 loose balls in nine games with the Rock this season.

"Our decision to trade Phil was a difficult one," Rock director of lacrosse operations Mike Kloepfer said in a release. "In the end it was important to strengthen our drafting position and we now feel that with a 2007 first-round pick to go along with our two 2008 first-rounders, we have addressed this."

The five-foot-nine Sanderson has 21 goals and 65 assists for 86 points in 114 games over eight-plus NLL seasons with Toronto, Albany and San Jose.

In a related move, the Rock added defenceman Bryan Riddell to the active roster from the practice player list.

With files from the Canadian Press