After a day to really digest the latest Brian Burke move, Maple Leaf fans can't help but be ecstatic for what they possibly obtained.
In a seven player deal on Sunday that sent Niklas Hagman, Matt Stajan, Jamal Mayers and Ian White to Calgary for Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and prospect Keith Aulie, the Maple Leafs officially started selling off their major team assets. But this move wasn't just a sellers move, the Maple Leafs were able to acquire a top-pairing, young (24 years-old) talent in Dion Phaneuf, a young (26) serviceable defensive-forward in Fredrik Sjostrom, and a towering prospect in Keith Aulie.
Calgary was in the market to shake up their team, and Burke made the ideal trading partnet. Sutter wanted to take the cap space from Phaneuf (6.5 million) and try and disperse it among other holes on the team, mainly offensive forwards.
While the deal looks one-sided at first glance, it actually helps Calgary be a bit more rounded. They acquired two top-six forwards, a second-pairing defender, and a grinding forward. Not bad for a team who wants bodies and flexibility, and with three of the four players free agents (White being an RFA) it gives Sutter options on who he wants to keep.
The Maple Leafs on the other hand lost a ton of offensive punch, which they hope will be filled by the likes of Tyler Bozak, Viktor Stalberg, Christian Hanson, and Mikhail Grabovski (when he returns from injury in a few weeks). They are primed to lose even more offense with the likely departure of long-time Maple Leaf Alexei Ponikarovsky.
What the Maple Leafs get in Phaneuf is something they haven't had in a long time, a player with tremendous talent to build around on the back end. At only 24-years-old, Phaneuf is one of the most feared open-ice hitters in the game, and has great offensive prowess. He's big, and he's nasty. His short-comings are in his defensive game, which in time should round out.
As much of a cornerstone player Luke Schenn can be, he isn't that type of player right now. He's smart, but lacks the high offensive game that a Dion Phaneuf has.
Along with Phaneuf is under-appreciated defensive-forward Fredrik Sjostrom. He brings some size and speed to the bottom-six for the Maple Leafs, and likely takes over the role that Jamal Mayers was expected to bring when he was acquired from St. Louis. At only 26, he fits into the teams future and is under contract for one more season. He should assist on the teams dreadful penalty-kill.
The Maple Leafs also acquired towering rearguard Keith Aulie, who was apart of the WJs at the '09 games. At 6'6, he's a fridge on skates. He's already playing, and contributing in the AHL, and seems to be just a nice sprinkle on top of the trade for Maple Leaf fans.
While the Maple Leafs dipped into their team depth in this trade, they were all parts that were deemed expendable by fans and management alike. Jamal Mayers had asked for a trade, and Sjostrom should provide an equal or greater contribution to the team. Most Maple Leaf fans would have been happy to deal Matt Stajan for prospect Keith Aulie at the trade deadline if they could. And then it boils down to Niklas Hagman, who's been a productive yet streaky scorer for the Maple Leafs and Ian White the prize departure on the Maple Leafs side. What may be lost in all of this is the fact Hagman already makes 3m against the cap, and with White's contract running out at seasons end he's ready for a raise into the 3m range. Those two player salaries will likely equal or be close to Phaneuf's cap hit for the remained of his contract.
It's a risky trade for Toronto, but an easy one to make given the Maple Leafs traded depth players in exchange for a potential elite talent.
As for the other move of the day, the Maple Leafs shipped out goaltender Vesa Toskala and forward Jason Blake to Anaheim for the expensive Jean-Sebastien Giguere. A move that looked like pure genius on Burke's part, as most believed Blake and Toskala to have negative value. Giguere isn't all that valuable himself, but should be a much more stable goaltender then that of Vesa Toskala who's time in Toronto was a disappointment. Adding Jason Blake frees the Maple Leafs out of a terrible contract over the next two seasons. And while Giguere's cap hit is not cheap, the gamble on Giguere is much more worthy of taking on at this point than another two seasons of Blake.
No one knows how these moves will play out, but Maple Leafs can't help but feel excited for what these four players can bring to the organization.
