Let me start this off by saying the Leafs did a good thing yesterday. Both trades made by TO were discussed all day by pretty much everyone in Canada. My mom even asked me about it last night. I believe TSN may have seen the most traffic on their website since the internet was even invented. It was like Christmas a month late yesterday when Leafs fans flicked on the TV or computer and had to look twice, maybe even three times to make sure they weren't losing their minds. Phaneuf to the Leafs? Come on... I'm dreaming right. I'm still not sure if any of this is even real but lets take a look at it.
Phaneuf, Sjostrom, and Aulie (AHL) for Hagman, Stajan, White, and Mayers
Obviously the main piece in this trade is Dion Phaneuf. The second biggest piece is Ian White in my own opinion, as I've seen this guy turn into a very solid d-man who can move the puck and settle the pace of the game when needed. White will definitely be missed, along with the rest of players leaving town. Matt Stajan has been with this team for a long time, he's scored great goals, has always been a classy guy and we should all wish him the best (I wouldn't mind seeing him re-sign with the Buds this summer). Hagman and Mayers have been with us for a shorter stint but they deserve a change in scenery and hopefully they can help out with the Flames in the exciting Northwest.
What people seem to forget about this trade is that the blue & white have acquired another elite NHL player, and you need elite skill like Dion's to win. This guy is only 24 and brings a physical edge to his game that very few in the game can bring. Not only that, Phaneuf craves the open ice hit and has been playing in the West for four years. The east is all new for #3 and that's a good thing. Translation: Ovie, Gomez, Malkin, or anyone else who wants to carry the puck through the zone better take note quick.
Phaneuf also holds a complete bomb from the point, giving the Leafs two weapons in him and Beauch, along with Kaberle to distribute. He has always scored goals in double digits and will be a welcome force both offensively and physically for the next few years.
Then we have Sjostrom. The scouting report on this guy is a great penalty killer, with a plus rating, who has hands of stone and can't put the puck in the net. While I welcome the penalty killing (as I'm sure we all do), we'll have to see how this guy shakes out and what he brings to the lineup. We always hear of these guys with no output as "defensive specialists". Unfortunately that can mean anything from Ian Laperriere (good) to Rickard Wallin (ummm... yeah).
Keith Aulie is a surprising piece to this trade, as I really don't know why Calgary would give him up after already letting go of Phaneuf. How Burke managed to pull this off is puzzling. Aulie is a good prospect, a 6'6 defenceman with an obvious physical up-side who plays the game with grit and has a World Junior Championship on his resume. I really don't know what Calgary were thinking with this deal. The Flames and Ducks both kind of looked foolish yesterday.
Which brings me to the second trade of the day, JS Giguere (6 mil cap) for Jason Blake (4mil cap) and Vesa Toskala (4mil cap). Another mind-bender for all of us Leafs fans. Sure, Burke took back a goalie for a six million cap hit but atleast his save percentage is over .900 and his goals against doesn't float up into the 4's. Keep in mind that with Franky Allaire the goalie coach, Giggy won a cup and Conn Smythe in two different years. This one could turn out to be a milestone trade. For Burke to wipe Blake and Toskala's grossly inflated contracts from the books is enough to warrant a deal like this any day of the week. Again, what were the Ducks thinking?
Toskala never really amounted to anything and turned out to be an enormous let-down. Blake on the other hand, had a pretty good season last year but never lived up to the hype coming off a 40 goal campaign with NYI before signing with the Buds. That said, Blake was clearly the hardest worker on the entire team and really comes off as a team guy. He's fast and can definitely handle the physical game for a smaller player. I think he would have done a lot better production-wise if the Leafs had any decent forwards to play with, but they didn't and Blakey couldn't really get anything going on a team riddled with mediocrity. He's a class act for sure and I hope he finds success with the Ducks in the remaining years of his contract. He will surely benefit from the offensive skill of the Anaheim forwards and will fit in nicely with other vets like Selanne and Koivu.
The new Flames will take to the ice tonight, at home against the Flyers. I'm not sure who's in or out for this game. I'm guessing Staj, Hagman and White should definitely be in the lineup with Mayers on the bubble. Calgary is, after all, a full team of Mayers type players. The new look Leafs will be in action tomorrow night against the Devils. I'm sure Phaneuf will be in the lineup, but not sure whether Giggy will start. I would throw him in there right away, if not Thursday. I can't wait to see Phaneuf with a blue & white jersey, as I'm sure most Leafs fans feel the same.
-msu
razzler67@gmail.com
