Phaneuf a Leaf!!!

[Sean80]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=308469


wow!

[S.F.W.]

wow, I'm really curious what the leafs gave up. As long as they didn't give up any of their young talent, and more draft picks...then this is a great deal.

[Sean80]

Hopefully they unloaded a few defencemen for him.

[S.F.W.]

Hopefully they unloaded a few defencemen for him.
I have a feeling Kaberle is part of the deal...but I don't have a problem with his inclusion.

[S.F.W.]

apparently(according to ESPN), leafs have also acquired JS Giguere..which I don't like as he is owed 7M next year.

[Sean80]

Stajan and White for Phaneuf.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/758366--leafs-deal-stajan-white-for-dion-phaneuf?bn=1

[Sean80]

That's too bad. White is a solid player, but the Leafs would have had to pay a lot more for him next year.

[S.F.W.]

That's too bad. White is a solid player, but the Leafs would have had to pay a lot more for him next year.

Agreed he is solid, but it's a good deal for the leafs. They give up a bunch of mediocre talent for someone with huge upside.

[She_Prime]

That's a heavy trade. Toskala and Blake are going too. Crazy shakeup for the Leafs.

[W_L89]

it's blake and toskala for jsg

hagman, white, stajan and mayers for phaneuf and two prospects

imo these deals were needed as the leafs were garbage. we may have lost scoring but hopefully we have defense now

[Cardinal Fang]

I'm not planning my spot on the Stanley Cup parade route just yet.

[tucci]

were so hopelessss

[cwp_sedan]

I'm not sure how I feel about this just yet.

[jurgenk]

Unless you guys have more depth than is readily apparent these deals seem a little strange in that makes 4 forwards, 1 defenceman, 1 goaltender out and 1 forward, 2 defencemen, and 1 goaltender in return. I thought your back end was your strength with the addition of Komisarek but with ages of Schenn, Phaneuf, and Kessel there is a lot of upside.

Brad

[jaimie08mazda3]

We shall see how this will playout. I think Phaneuf will be good and JS Giguere is good as well.. I think they are thinking a bit more now.. Kinda sucks because Stajan was a great player but this is a huge step... see what happens.

[bubba1983]

and now with the youngest team in teh league....time will tell

defence is setup nicely now

along with phaneuf, the others were sjoestrom and aulie

[W_L89]

i really like the blake, toskala deal.

both players never found their stride in T.O.
both players were dissapointments
and both players were getting paid too much

hopefully jsg being reunited with francois allaire will help him return to his old form

[BiG-ED]

js is supposedly an expiring contract so that was just a salary dump. (edit: 7 mill next yr)
we need to acquire some forwards to make up for the trade.
maybe a play for kovalchuk? heheh

[W_L89]

^^ dont think burke would even bother going after kovalchuk, he's not that big on european players like that

[gretzky]

lets see if they can win now

[rick@garage16.ca]

ahh my poor flames...

[thegoodstink]

Dion may not be a good fit here. He isn't that big on all the media crap players put up with in T.O. Same reason Boumeaster would'nt sign here.

[gretzky]

Dion may not be a good fit here. He isn't that big on all the media crap players put up with in T.O. Same reason Boumeaster would'nt sign here.


ya thats true players put up with a lot in T.O.

[DualSoul]

Well, they can't get any worse?

I have a feeling I may be eating my words...

[SL3VIN]

nice i guess Brian Burke is owing up to his word of big changes, im loving the giguere deal


but man, 6 players traded for 3+1 prospect, as if the Leafs didn;t have depth issues already lol

[b.rabbit]

The Leafs kind of got better on defense, a lot better in goal (comparing Toskala and Giggy), but they have no offense anymore except for Kessel and he can't do it all himself. I guess a bunch of forwards are going to be called up unless Burkie has some more trades up his sleeve.

I hope Phaneuf will be able to play to his potential here in Toronto.

[SL3VIN]

but giggy has been struggling this season, we will see what happens, and yeah hopefully Phaneuf can live up to his name but imo he's overrated.

[STeeLy]

Being a Flames fan (FFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUU), I wasn't as much shocked to see him go but rather disappointed. He's a talented young defenseman who has been underperforming this year. His work ethic according to some is questionable. But if he lives up to expectations, I guarantee you he could take the Norris Trophy before his contract expires.

Freddy Sjostrom has sat out a fair number of games, he's a speedy little winger, lots of energy and has some nice moves, wasn't at all surprised he's moved, he'll play in Toronto.

Keith Aulie is a promising prospect, big body, stay at home defenseman, probably won't make the Leafs now, but give him a year or 2 on the marlies and he could be ready.

[SilentJay]

:S

What are the leafs going to do for points production? I mean kudos for dumping dead weight, but Hagman?

[Uni-Body]

The thing we all have to remember is that the deadline is March 3 (if I remember correctly) and Burke is planning on making a few more moves before the deadline arrives. As far as this trade goes I'm a little sad for Stajan as I went to high school with him and I know it was always his dream to play for the Leafs, but I'm sure he'll have a good time in Calgary! Overall though I think we came out good here, Phaneuf and Giguere are big names with good futures ahead of them - although ultimately time will tell if this was a good move or not.

I like the direction Burke is heading though - let the rebuilding begin!

and just FYI - Burke released a press conference saying he has no intention of trading or even mentioning Kaberle at the trading table

[Iceman_F1]

One thing a bunch of people have told me after this is the rest of the year is basically a write off. Not to say that they won't try, but to get everyone meshing properly and settled it, might be some growing pains. However, with the talent that they have in the Marlies that they are waiting to develop, it could be good next year if all the pieces fall in the right place. I know it was pre-season, but Kadri had some nice plays along with some of their other talent. Now with this, if they have the right chemistry, it could be good.

I guess time will tell.

Tuesday should be an interesting game to watch! :pop

[W_L89]

i was just talking crap to my buddy last week about how he going to to watch the leafs lose on tues to new jersey

now he going to watch the phaneuf's first game in a leafs uniform and possibly jsg's first start...

[SilentJay]

This may just be getting the pieces in place for Burke to get some drafts back at the deadline, dump some salary.

[gretzky]

This may just be getting the pieces in place for Burke to get some drafts back at the deadline, dump some salary.

ya lets see what magic he can do at the deadline

[W_L89]

ya lets see what magic he can do at the deadline

doubt he will do much. everyone gonna be expecting some spectacular deals or some more huge blockbusters. if what burke says is true and kaberle is not moving, then what else is there to do?

i think a defensemen will be traded for a forward, not much else.

offseason hopefully will do us some good.

[gretzky]

doubt he will do much. everyone gonna be expecting some spectacular deals or some more huge blockbusters. if what burke says is true and kaberle is not moving, then what else is there to do?

i think a defensemen will be traded for a forward, not much else.

offseason hopefully will do us some good.

ya thats true, but we can always hope something happens, but offseason should be good for sure

[W_L89]

my hope for this season is for goaltending woes to finally end with jiggy

and for the leafs to play some strong, defensive, and physical hockey

scoring can come later, defense and goaltending foundations need to be built

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

Wow. Veg out for a Sunday afternoon playing video games and this happens.

Warning, this will be long…

This trade has little to do with the remainder of this year and everything to do with setting the Leafs up as Burke’s team and building that foundation moving forward. It was obvious to everyone at this point that the Leafs are not making the playoffs and were sinking fast as the team become even more demoralized. I would expect more changes coming before the deadline and in free agency and the summer. Burke did the same thing in Anaheim and is now repeating it and putting his stamp on the Leafs. Why does anyone care about this deal for the remainder of this season and short term? You shouldn't, we weren't going anywhere fast.

Basically, as a life long Leaf fan, I am ecstatic this morning!!! The deal for Phaneuf is going to go down as one of the best Leaf trades ever, provided he stays healthy. This trade should nicely compensate for the Kessel trade which may go down as one of the worst trades in Leaf history should Boston win the lottery pick this year and possibly even next (let's hope not).... Burke nicely took advantage of an elite player who had a known conflict with a coach, who happens to be the brother of the GM. The Sutter’s will always stick together and Phaneuf was on borrowed time and certainly going somewhere once they had acquired Boumeester earlier in the season.

There are rumours that Phaneuf was a cancer in the dressing room, which are somewhat concerning, but which were probably started and generally leaked to the media by the Sutters in the first place, but if the rumours are in fact true, then how is it that Phaneuf was such a good friend of the Flames captain Jarome Iginla who is known for his impeccable leadership and behaviour? Makes you wonder how much was real vs. media, Flames management crap… Guess we’ll find out.

All said, this deal is typical Burke. He certainly doesn’t pull punches and will take decisive action to try and get what he feels his team requires. He has a history of it. Sometimes he will overpay and have the potential to look silly and other times it will work out brilliantly. I do wish Hagman wasn't part of this deal as I really like him as a 2nd or 3rd line player on the Leafs for years to come, but I'd still make this trade any day of the week. Hagman is the only former Leaf player in the trade with a guaranteed contract for next year, so he was obviously the key player in this deal for the Flames, who badly need scoring depth to try and make the playoffs. Stajan, White and Mayers, are all potential unrestricted free agents after this season and with the exception of Mayers, are all due for large raises to their current salary.

Essentially, the Leafs just acquired one of the best young defencemen in hockey and arguably the most physical and mean spirited young defenceman, for a group of marginal depth players with limited upside. All of the players the Leafs just traded for Phaneuf are replaceable now and the Leafs also just picked up a good player in Sjostrom and a decent prospect in Aulie.

You know your hockey club is in trouble when people start talking about Stajan, Hagman and Ian White as among your best players and are actually concerned they are leaving. Simply put, none of these guys are marquee talents and wouldn’t normally be placed in those spots on most hockey clubs. In Toronto, they have been placed on the top lines out of necessity and lack of talented depth. As a result, Toronto fans have a way of overvaluing the talent on their roster and this doesn’t mean the rest of the league and GM’s feel the same way. Here is how I would break it down:

Going to Calgary:

Matt Stajan- best suited as a 3rd line checking/scoring center, but with enough skill to play on a 2nd line when injuries and other necessary situations dictate. He is a solid 40 to 60 point player on most teams with decent skill and defensive responsibility. His role will be immediately replaced by Tyler Bozak ,who is younger, has more skill and offensive upside, but at this stage of his career, is not as defensively reliable, or as well rounded as Stajan.

Niclas Hagman- best Leaf player included in this deal. Solid 2nd line scoring/checker, who was previously a 3rd line player in Dallas. Works hard, defensively responsible, has decent grit and has a very good wrist/snap shot and generally underrated offensive skills. Solid 50 point, 25 goals and 25 assists per year player, with small upside if on top 2 scoring lines of a good team. Sad to see him go. The Leafs currently don’t have a player to replace Hagman’s immediate impact and scoring, but he will be replaced by Victor Stahlberg moving forward, who I’d like to see the Leafs develop as a center, instead of a winger. Stahlberg is for real folks... The kid can play, but has had a horrible year due to early setbacks with a concussion and shoulder injuries which really hurt his confidence.

Ian White- sad case when you can make a case for White being the most reliable Leafs defenceman over the course of the season… Has had a very good year, the past few games aside and his market value will likely never be higher. Realistically, he is a solid number 4 to 6 defenceman with good skating, passing and vision. However, his size dictates he was never in Burke’s long range plans and frankly, even though White has plenty of grit and plays bigger than he is, his lack of size in the corners and especially in front of the net, was evident game in and game out. He was pushed around and dominated by the larger wingers when they were cycling the puck in the corners and taking it to the front of the net. I like White and respect him a lot, for all he has accomplished, but he is not a top 2 defenceman, end of story. He will be directly replaced by Dion Phaneuf, but Carl Gunnarsson plays a similar style to White with good puck movement and skating, but without the offensive upside at this stage of his career. Gunnarsson is also not as mistake prone as he plays a much simpler game.

Jamal Mayers- requested a trade and then decided to make it public. This pissed off Burke who likes to handle these things internally. Mayers never did much here in Toronto and looked slow and old compared to the player he was in St. Louis. Good luck to him. The fighting and grit can be replaced by Rosehill or some other player, but Christian Hanson fills the gap as a power forward in the future. Hanson is not a fighter, but has loads more skill, speed and offensive upside than Mayers. Mayers is easily replaced at a much lower salary…

Coming to the Leafs:

Dion Phaneuf- Only 24. Has been a Norris Trophy candidate, twice named to the NHL All-Star team and voted as a 1st team all-star selection with Niclas Lidstrom, for the Western Conference in his young career. This is a guy, who only a few seasons ago, was being debated between Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin as a ‘who would you rather have to build a team around' guy, when these players were not yet in the NHL. Granted, I’d take all the other players noted over him, but this guy is still a huge talent with tremendous upside. Many compare him to a young Scott Stevens and Chris Pronger, who also had struggles at this age learning the balance between offence and defence and making the right decisions. He is a top end talent, with huge upside and simply the best player in the trade. Leafs win the trade just based on that alone…

Frederic Sjostrom- This kid hasn’t played much in Calgary, but will get a shot here. Leaf fans will be pleasantly surprised. He has speed to burn, can handle the puck very well and is good defensively. May never be much of a scorer, but does have good puck skills and plays a good team defensive game. A solid 3rd line player with potential upside. Say goodbye to Rickard Wallin.

Keith Aulie- A big defensive-defenceman with a serious mean streak and very good skating ability for a guy this size. Was one of Canada best defenders at the WJC. May, or may not pan out at the NHL level, but is a nice prospect to add to an organization needing depth. Will probably stay in the AHL for the next 2 or 3 seasons.

As for the other trade, it was a salary dump and player personality dump by both teams, where the Leafs come out ahead, both in terms of cap space and talent. I’m not a Giguere fan at all and never have been, but he clearly wanted out of Anaheim and a chance to reestablish himself as a #1 goalie. Hillier had taken that role for the Ducks as of last year. Toskala was never going to work out here playing for his former coach Wilson, who he never got along with in San Jose. Blake was a waste of space and frankly I am happy to see him go. Apparently, so will the Leafs dressing room. I swear I had nightmares every evening after watching a Leaf game where in my dreams, all I would see was Blake firing pucks at the net from stupid angles on the wing while 2 Leafs were open in front and then dreaming of Blake skating around the net in circles over and over and over again... So useless.

In the end, the Leafs get rid of Blake’s stupid contract which pays him over $4M for the next two years as well as, Toskala’s stupid contract which I think is in the $4.25M range. In return, they get a former #1, top end goalie who even if he is on the downside in his career, is still an upgrade on Toskala. Giguere has one more year left on his contract at $7M and will share the load with ‘The Monster’ next year, while Gustafsson establishes himself as the Leafs goalie of the future, which I have no doubt he will become. If this pans out, then the Leafs have a nice asset in Giguere that they can trade at the deadline next year to a contending team that needs goaltending depth for a Stanley Cup push. You weren’t going to get the same for Toskala or Blake… The other option is that the Leafs could also resign Giguere at a lower salary if they don’t trade him next year, but if The Monster develops as he should, I consider this unlikely. So, in the end, the Leafs improve and solidify their goaltending, they save about 1.5M in cap space in the deal for Giguere and also got back the best player and one that is very marketable next year at the deadline for another player, draft picks, or prospects. Good deal Burke…

The next thing Burke needs to do is bring in a legitimate #1 ideally big center, in either a trade or free agency. Not exactly a commodity that is easily available… He still has plenty of assets, but the key guy is Kaberle. Unfortunately, unless Kaberle approaches Burke, I believe him when he says he won’t ask Kaberle to waive his no trade clause. Kaberle is a steal at $4.25M a year in a cap league and could be packaged off for a decent center. Unfortunately his no trade clause doesn’t expire till after the season finishes, unless he wants to be traded and waives it now, which I don’t think is the case. The guy I would love to see in Toronto is Vincent Lecavalier, who I would have preferred the Leafs trade for instead of Kessel. He just brings more to the table when you’re talking about giving up the kind of price they did to get Kessel.

Lecavalier is on the trade block in Tampa Bay, wants to play in a hockey market, and is expendable with the emergence of Stamkos. Apparently, T.B. is looking for more depth at defence in return and asked for Andre Markov and other players in discussions with Montreal earlier in the year. There aren’t many big, tough and skilled centers in the league, that you can match against the other fantastic centers in the eastern Conference… Not sure how the Leafs would, or could fit Lecavalier’s hefty contract term or salary into the cap structure, but you can’t blame a boy for dreaming…

That is all. :hawt

[STeeLy]

Nice long post Zoom Zoom Boy... very valid points, except the whole cancer thing.

No one really knows, but the years I've been a Flames fan and the years watching D. Sutter deal with media, I take what he says with a grain of salt, or believe the complete opposite. Weeks ago, he said Phaneuf wasn't being traded, almost EVERY Flames fan that has been around since 2004 clued in that it was a matter of time that Phaneuf was going somewhere soon.

But someone who has connections to a player was told by said player that Phaneuf certainly have a few problems to overcome.

[Iceman_F1]

Nice long post there Zoom Zoom Boy!

Good read and I agree. As much as I still enjoy watching the Leafs this season as I'm a fan and will continue to watch (That and to have something to talk about the next day with a couple people at work :chuckle) I know that the moves done now are in prep for next season and the future. Should be interesting to see where everything goes with this.

[Unoriginalusername]

Good progress. Each time we do this though it sounds good on paper and hasn't been panning out. The beginning of the year we were supposed to be meaner defensively and that didn't quite pan out. kessel was supposed to be a bigger offensive threat and that didn't pan out just yet as a great move. All in all though, these are all pieces to a larger puzzle and i think each step is a step in the right direction and gets us closer to where we can be competitive again.

Getting ride of blake is good, the leafs have a lot of shots on goal because of guys like him, but the stats don't reflect how poor those shots are which is why the goals are so low. Dumb shots from bad angles don't win games and getting rid of blake should help highlight the true offensive stats a little clearer (that there aren't enough guys able to find the back of the net)

[W_L89]

not much remains now from ferguson's campaign

[Unoriginalusername]

not much remains now from ferguson's campaign

thank goodness

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

not much remains now from ferguson's campaign

Amen to that.

[gretzky]

not much remains now from ferguson's campaign

let the burke saga start

[SSmoked]

im happy with the new trades. hopefully it turns this team around. i know we wont be play off material until a couple years but its nice to see bruke starting the re-build.
o and guess who scored a pair of platnium seats for this sats game against ottawa... mee!!!

[RBoy8]

Zoom Zoom, that was a very nice post. I enjoyed reading it! :)

I'm stoked to see the game on Tuesday... very interested in seeing how our newly acquired guys play. Oh and....... nice facial expresion, Phaneuf! :chuckle
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs143.snc3/17046_278126341965_508651965_3443014_4366254_n.jpg

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

Interesting article relating to Tampa Bay being sold and the belief that Lecavalier is definitely on the way out. Rumour has L.A. as the front runner, but Lecavalier does have a no movement clause and apparently wants to play for a traditional hockey market. With his cap hit, there is next to no chance the Leafs can acquire him, but looks like someone will be.

http://thehockeynews.com/articles/31139-Campbells-Cuts-Lightning-lose-top-executive-Kings-interested-in-Lecavalier.html

[iGOzoom]

i wonder if Phaneuf will be playing on tuesday's game against new jersey.

[Iceman_F1]

i wonder if Phaneuf will be playing on tuesday's game against new jersey.

I'd say he would. No time like the present to get used to the new club.

Though reading leafs news, I found this amusing...


11:10 a.m.
Garnett Exelby gives Dion Phaneuf his No. 3 and takes Ian White's vacated No. 7.

Which I guess is nice of Exelby to let a player keep a number he is used to.

But what interests me is to see who this one is...


1:10 p.m.
Ron Wilson said they will be calling a forward up who will be in the lineup tomorrow but didn't say who it will be.

[b.rabbit]

Phaneuf and Giguere should be in the lineup against the Devils. Same with Sjostrom.

Nice of Exelby to give up his 3 for Phaneuf, but I wonder if Phaneuf had to pay him to get the number (sometimes it's customary to do this as a thank you).

The call-up? I'm going to guess that it's Christian Hanson (if he's not already called up).

[Iceman_F1]

Phaneuf and Giguere should be in the lineup against the Devils. Same with Sjostrom.

Nice of Exelby to give up his 3 for Phaneuf, but I wonder if Phaneuf had to pay him to get the number (sometimes it's customary to do this as a thank you).

The call-up? I'm going to guess that it's Christian Hanson (if he's not already called up).

I'm more amused that they are keeping it a secret. I'd kinda want to see how Kadri will do but that's too soon to call him up.

[W_L89]

would giggy be in lineup as a backup or starter?

[thanu31]

Im pretty sure hes going to be a starter.
he did state the main reason he came to toronto was so he can get some time on the ice, and be a starter, as he could of easily not waived his no trade clause

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

i wonder if Phaneuf will be playing on tuesday's game against new jersey.

Phaneuf was practicing today, so expect him to be in the line-up. I would venture a guess that Giguere will be starting also. Particularly since it is a home game... :)

[ShortBus]

not much remains now from ferguson's campaign

i think you mean dick(head) peddie.

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

Flames play tonight against Philly.

Stajan is to play on the top line with Iginla and Boyd. Hagman will play on the 3rd line with Jokinen and Lundmark and White will be lining up next to Robin Regehr. Mayers plays on the 4th line with Prust and Nystrom.

Should be fun to watch. Would also be nice to see Stajan, who is a nice guy, click well with Iginla and do well.

Also, Wilson has named Giguere as the defacto #1 goalie for the remainder of this season and that he will receive the majority of starts from here on in.

[Iceman_F1]

Flames play tonight against Philly.

Stajan is to play on the top line with Iginla and Boyd. Hagman will play on the 3rd line with Jokinen and Lundmark and White will be lining up next to Robin Regehr. Mayers plays on the 4th line with Prust and Nystrom.

Should be fun to watch. Would also be nice to see Stajan, who is a nice guy, click well with Iginla and do well.

Also, Wilson has named Giguere as the defacto #1 goalie for the remainder of this season and that he will receive the majority of starts from here on in.

That sounds good. Give Gustavsson a chance to get used to things more without so much pressure on him.

[Unoriginalusername]

Flames play tonight against Philly.

Stajan is to play on the top line with Iginla and Boyd. Hagman will play on the 3rd line with Jokinen and Lundmark and White will be lining up next to Robin Regehr. Mayers plays on the 4th line with Prust and Nystrom.

Should be fun to watch. Would also be nice to see Stajan, who is a nice guy, click well with Iginla and do well.

Also, Wilson has named Giguere as the defacto #1 goalie for the remainder of this season and that he will receive the majority of starts from here on in.

Sucks to be told last week you're getting the #1 spot and then get bumped to maybe once per week
http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/mapleleafs/jonasgustavsson/article/753931--leafs-name-gustavsson-the-go-to-goalie

Not surprisingly, then, head coach Ron Wilson indicated Thursday he hopes to play Gustavsson whenever possible in the final 31 games of the season.

“I’d like to use Jonas more,” he said. “But it’s tough with the schedule the way it is. I’m not going to kill the poor guy.”


“The plan we had to get away from was to play Jonas 25 to 30 games this year,” said Wilson. “He’s played more than half the games and missed five weeks with injuries.

“Giguere will get the bulk of the work, and we’ll spot Jonas in, hopefully once a week. We’ll see how it goes. He’ll have somebody who can help mentor him and play the same style that our goalie coach wants our goalies to play.”

[Hives]

I am excited

[W_L89]

Sucks to be told last week you're getting the #1 spot and then get bumped to maybe once per week
http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/mapleleafs/jonasgustavsson/article/753931--leafs-name-gustavsson-the-go-to-goalie

he needs time to learn/ develop n e ways

being #1 would rush him into system, i really hope giggy is good so that jonas will have to earn his games rather than having them handed to him

[b.rabbit]

Stajan's wearing 18
White's wearing 3


Not that anyone cares. LOL

[STeeLy]

Hagman wearing 11 and Mayers wearing 19... if anyone else cares

[Unoriginalusername]

i know chemistry doesn't happen overnight, but Calgary has to be pondering their trades lol. Sure they were losing badly this past week, but last night was their worst offensive effort since early november i think they said.

[STeeLy]

I have no problems with Darryl Sutter bringing in Higgins... but I don't get Kotalik... he has a questionable work ethic at best.

I think Sutter has something out up his sleeve. There is no way Sutter is done.

[S.F.W.]

I don't know if Sutter has anything else up his sleeve. Jokinen wasn't getting it done in Calgary. Though I think part of that might be system related. Calgary plays a defense first and foremost then offense system. They need to let the players be more free.

[STeeLy]

These trades aren't making any sense to flames fans. Unless he has something else coming.

Certainly, Jokinen wasn't getting it done, especially for someone with his paycheque, but why Mayers over Prust? They're almost the same player, gritty, they fight and can skate decently. Yet Prust comes at 500k/year, 900k/year less than Mayers'. Mayers' comes off the book at the end of the season IIRC. Why Kotalik, lazy euro with no work ethic, certainly he has skill, but I don't see Sutter wanting someone who just goes on the ice for a paycheque.

Stajan's offense and ability to win faceoffs would certainly be welcomed, Hagman's toughness and decent offensive skill would be good, he almost split the defense a few times last night so it's safe to say those 2 are staying.

A lot of Flames fans are screaming for Sutter's head, I honestly think something else is going to happen

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

These trades aren't making any sense to flames fans. Unless he has something else coming.

Certainly, Jokinen wasn't getting it done, especially for someone with his paycheque, but why Mayers over Prust? They're almost the same player, gritty, they fight and can skate decently. Yet Prust comes at 500k/year, 900k/year less than Mayers'. Mayers' comes off the book at the end of the season IIRC. Why Kotalik, lazy euro with no work ethic, certainly he has skill, but I don't see Sutter wanting someone who just goes on the ice for a paycheque.

Stajan's offense and ability to win faceoffs would certainly be welcomed, Hagman's toughness and decent offensive skill would be good, he almost split the defense a few times last night so it's safe to say those 2 are staying.

A lot of Flames fans are screaming for Sutter's head, I honestly think something else is going to happen

I'm not a Flames fan, but they don't make much sense to me either. I get the deal with the Leafs and giving up Phaneuf for short term scoring depth. This said, I still think Sutter was high to trade Phaneuf for a bunch of middling parts.

The Jokinen trade on the other hand, doesn't make sense at all, although I like Chris Higgins as a player a lot. Kotalik can score, but has no heart at all.

To be honest, I don't think Sutter has much else up his sleeve at this point, but I suppose we'll see closer to the deadline. The deals seem to smack of a desperate GM. Perhaps one that has been told his job is forfeit this year if the Flames do not make the playoff's. Then, these deals make much more sense.

[Iceman_F1]

What a start that was for Sjostrom, Phaneuf and Giguere. Still have a lot of work to do, but seeing that game last night is like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Might be a ways of, but it's there. Really liked how the crowd got behind them so fast and got pumped up for once :chuckle

[W_L89]

maybe sutter wants kovalchuk?

[STeeLy]

maybe sutter wants kovalchuk?

Rumour but doubtful... sutter isn't exactly freeing up cap space to be able to bring in Kovalchuk

(Yes I know that salary is counted in a daily basis, but I don't want to do the math to see if he's got enough cap space to actually land kovalchuk at the deadline.

[W_L89]

whichever team that gets kovalchuk b4 deadline (if he is traded b4 deadline) is gonna screw themselves unless they end up winning the cup

in summer he just gonna sign in russia anyways

[deandai]

in other words GG lol

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

I don't think he'll play in Russia. Kovalchuk always wanted to play in the NHL against the best players. So unless that has changed, he'll be in the NHL and I do think he wants to play for a team with a chance of winning.

[b.rabbit]

I think Kovalchuk is going to wind up a Chicago Blackhawk or New York Ranger.

Trade is coming soon!!

[W_L89]

if chicago gets him, the cup is there's 100%, if rangers get him... well ya they will make playoffs? lol

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

It's done. Kovie is now a N.J. Devil. At least for a few months anyway...

Just in time to play the Leafs tomorrow. Phaneuf vs. Kovalchuk is going to be fun to watch for sure. Oh, and Atlanta gets the asshat Cormier as part of the deal.

Kovalchuk is a New Jersey Devil.

The Atlanta Thrashers dealt their captain, an impending free agent, to the Devils on Thursday night for a package that includes defenseman Johnny Oduya, rookie forward Niclas Bergfors, junior prospect Patrice Cormier and New Jersey's first-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Defenseman Anssi Salmela, traded by the Devils to the Thrashers last March for Niclas Havelid, will return to New Jersey as part of the deal. The teams will also flip second-round picks.

"This wasn't an easy deal to make," General Manager Don Waddell said Thursday night. "Ilya Kovalchuk has been with us for eight years. He's been the face of our franchise and done so many good things for us, on and off the ice.

"We tried everything we can. I had great support from ownership. We offered him over $100 million in a long-term contract. He had said he wanted to be a Thrasher for life. We tried to make that happen, but unfortunately we couldn't reach a deal.

Kovalchuk owns almost all the offensive records in Thrashers history and is having another excellent season with 31 goals and 27 assists for 58 points in 49 games. But he will become a free agent on July 1 and had not reached agreement on a new contract with the team.

"It's disappointing, but we have to turn the page," Waddell said. "He's been a great captain for our team. We thank him for everything he's done for us. Now we look forward to the new guys coming in."

The Thrashers had offered multiple deals, including a $101 million, 12-year contract that Waddell said Thursday had been rejected. Kovalchuk reportedly had been looking for a contract worth the maximum of 20 percent of the salary cap on a deal that would last 10-12 years.

Since the Thrashers drafted him with the No. 1 pick in 2001, Kovalchuk leads the NHL with 328 goals. But Atlanta, an expansion team that debuted in 1999-2000, has made just one playoff appearance and has never won a postseason game.

"[New Jersey] is a good team and it's a great chance to play in the playoffs and go far in the playoffs," Kovalchuk told the Atlanta Jornal-Constitution. "It's sad at the same time because now -- I can say it -- I've been a Thrasher for eight years. I'm appreciative of everything, the organization and the fans."

Kovalchuk, who has 328 goals and 615 points in 594 NHL games, is a two-time 50-goal scorer who has at least 41 goals in each of the last five seasons. He fiures to be a major offensive boost for the Devils, who've slumped badly in the last few weeks and are in danger of dropping out of first place in the Atlantic Division.

Devils GM Lou Lamoriello noted that while the Devils gave away a lot, they have the depth in the organization to overcome it. He also noted that the Devils' recent scoring slump played a part.

"We felt Kovalchuk was a player who could come and fill the need that we felt we had for an explosive scorer and someone who could add a different dimension to our power play with the type of shot," Lamoriello said. "Then it was just the case of trying to make it work somehow where we could not sacrifice tomorrow."

Lamoriello said the idea of trying to re-sign Kovalchuk wasn't a consideration in the deal.

"That has not even been a thought at this moment," Lamoriello said. "What we want to do is just get him here, get him into the environment, get him into the lineup, get our coaches to see what he brings. We see what he brings, he sees what we bring and not even think about that (re-signing him) whatsoever. That is not the thought process at this time. It is to get this team better and in the next couple of weeks, get sort of an acquaintance, so that once the break is over we get all of our players back. Paul Martin will be back. David Clarkson will be back. Certainly, Patrik (Elias) should be back before then, hopefully, and then we'll know what we are."

Oduya, a 28-year-old, has 2 goals and 4 points in 40 games this season. Bergfors, New Jersey's first-round pick in 2005, has 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 54 games, but hasn't scored a goal since Dec. 30 and has gone 13 games without a point.

"We're very excited to be adding Johnny Oduya to our hockey club," Waddell said. "He's a top-four defenseman and he's going to be playing in the Olympics for Sweden. Nicklas Bergfors is a first-year player with 13 goals who has a lot of potential."

Cormier was captain of Canada's world junior championship team. He has been suspended for the rest of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season for an elbow that left an opponent in convulsions. Waddell said he's hopeful Cormier can make the Thrashers next season.