The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjöström and Keith Aulie from the Calgary Flames in exchange for Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers, Matt Stajan and Ian White.
tmlfans.ca correspondent Rob Del Mundo is on site at the Air Canada Centre for Brian Burke’s media conference.
Details to follow.
WOW!!! That is all i really have to say on this trade. Salary dump bigtime for Calgary in preperation for the deadline to get some offense, i understand now why they signed Bowmeester to that contract.
Great investment for TO as well, did not give up that much at all, and makes them look much more appealing for players to go there now with an anchor at both ends of the ice. Leafs will not make it this year, but watch out, they are building and they have done a great job so far.
Great building block. Stud on O and D at 23 years old and good mix on goalie if resign Gustavson. With Kadri, Hanson and Bozak, might be building a good nucleus that can play together for awhile – not since the days of Sittler, MacDonald and Salming potential!
Phaneuf and Gigierre—YES—the other two guys are fourth liners
But—-the Leafs gave up an awful lot of offense
Ian White was the Leafs most consistent defenseman
Jason Blake worked his ass off
Hagman and Stajan, ,while inconsistent, contributed a lot of points
And while Mayers wanted out— he was the consummate tough guy
Toskala will play much better in a better environment
Burke is pruning the tree and grafting on some good players AND a couple of prospects.
Stajan was a third line center on any other team and a fourth line player on a contender. Hagman could score goals but let’s face it , Toronto did not lose a Crosby or a Lecavalier. Toskala could not be trusted to keep the first puck out, and that poisons a whole team. Your goalie has to steal at least 3 games per year that the team deserves to lose, and he has to make sure you win the games you deserve to win. Toskala would never be that goalie and Gustavsonn is still learning how.
Phaneuf and Beachemin and another guy to play with Kaberle and you see a top four defense set. Too bad about Ian White but you have to give to get.
I guess by now, the rest of the team knows that they are not in the future plans of Mr. Burke unless they start to show ability and consistency. The only wart on the face of the team is the loss of two first round picks, which is spilt milk, and which if the scouting is good can bring a very good player from the later rounds.
I feel like this is the modern version of the Punch Imlach era. Things are looking up in Leaf Nation
Burke promised to build from the neet out and he is doing it, Phaneuf and