Apparently Toronto didn't get the memo to bag the season and stink up the joint so the Bruins can get Taylor Hall in this summers NHL draft. Now more reason to hate the Toronto Maples Leafs first
Mike Komisarek and now
Dion Phaneuf. Marvelous.
The Calgary Flames have traded defenceman Dion Phaneuf, forward Fredrik Sjostrom, and prospect defenceman Keith Aulie to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forwards Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and defenceman Ian White.
The Maple Leafs and Flames have been working on the components of this blockbuster for a week to ten days, but sources say the details of the deal didn't fall into place until late last night.
"[Phaneuf] is a warrior. He's got a cannon for a shot," explained Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke on Sunday. "He plays the game hard and I want players who play the game hard because they're hard to play against."
Phaneuf has two goals over his last three games and is signed through the 2013-14 season ($6.5 million per). He had 18:49 TOI last night, only the third time this month he's been under 20 minutes in a game. The big defenceman has 10 goals and 12 assists to go with a minus-3 rating over his 55 games.
Sjostrom has played 46 games with one goal and five assists for Calgary this season. Aulie was drafted in the fourth round, 116th overall of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. The six-foot-six defenceman had spent this season with the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL.
Hagman has 20 goals and 13 assists, while Stajan has 16 goals and 25 assists, each over 55 games this season. Both players have a minus-3 rating. Mayers had expressed interest in being traded earlier in January. He had two goals, six assists and 78 penalty minutes over his 44 games with the Maple Leafs this season. White had nine goals, 17 assists and a plus-1 rating over his 56 games.
Burke admitted the loss of Stajan and Hagman would leave a hole in the Maple Leaf attack, but explained acquiring Phaneuf was too good to pass up.
[TSN.COM]
I don't see how the Maple Leafs aren't going to bag the season. Even with Phaneuf and Giguere, they're still hapless. They got rid of 2/3rds of their offense. Phaneuf can score but he's having a down year. Sjostrom is meh.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be tough to outsuck Edmonton this year. But they're still very much in the running for Tyler Hall or, at worst, Seguin.
What the real story is with the Maple Leafs is their coaching situation. I like Ron Wilson, but this is the classic team that has given up on the coach. Not with a certain Grand Forks team.
They put the P in pathetic. Kessel is doing well but he's always met with "Yeah, but he's on the MAPLE LEAFS"
Boston can still get Hall or Seguin. Toronto isn't going anywhere.