LEAFS TRADES

[uglyfish]

its been reported that the leafs have traded for calgarys dion phaneuf. and have sent vesa toskola to anaheim for J.S. giguare and a 1st rd pick.

[fishboy]

hopefully they'll unload Wilson after the Olympics

[SlowPoke]

This is big....

 

Jean-Sebastien Giguere from the Anaheim Ducks for Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala.

Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and Keith Aulie in exchange for defenseman Ian White, center Matt Stajan, left wing Niklas Hagman and right wing Jamal Mayers.

 

White is playing well and due for a big raise next year. He'll be missed.

Blake & Toskale can't get their act together. A sigh of relief.

Stajan and Hagman will be missed but their combined salaries could could be spent on a high level forward capable of equaling the combined totals.

Jamal who?

[Lunatic]

The leafs needed a locker room shake up.

out of all the players leaving the leafs, i really,really hate to see ian white go. aside from that no major loss losing the others. Aside from the fact we have no scoring at all now haha.

but i think this is just poker chips that can and will probably be cashed in for some forwards elsewhere since we are loaded heavy on the defensive side of things.

Im very very happy to see blake go, didnt like him before the leafs and didnt like him on the leafs, good bye!

as for vesa,see ya!!

i would have unloaded blake and toskala for 20 dollars, or even a 5th round pick. maybe a bag of pucks? so getting anything for them was great.

 

this is a potentialy a very good start,at least a solid foundation to moving up the ranks in the next few years, and having dion and kessel will hopefully attract some bigger free agent names in the upcoming summers.

[jediangler]

Giguere was a good goalie once, just like Toskala. Everyone but Hagman and White were useless for the leafs so they might miss those two. Picking up another penalty taking defenceman is a real head scratcher but you know how Burke likes his goons. It will be easy to tell if these were good moves or not. The Leafs sit in 29th place right now, if they can gain any spots, it will be a success. If they stay 29th or get caught by the Oilers and end up 30th it will be deemed a failure. Except to me (Bruins Fan) I'm loving the chance to pick high in the 1st round this year and next year as well. The only upside I can think of is Elisha Cuthbert (Dion's GF) will come to some games and get some quality camera time watching her man get frustrated and taking penalties for the leafs.

[solopaddler]

If they stay 29th or get caught by the Oilers and end up 30th it will be deemed a failure. Except to me (Bruins Fan) I'm loving the chance to pick high in the 1st round this year and next year as well. .

 

It's suddenly clear why you respond to every single hockey thread and put down the Leafs.

[canadadude]

Burk is going to build a winner outa that club yet. He starts with the defence, good for him clearing out those panty wastes.It can't get any worse in Toronto, so I give a thumbs up to Burk at least he's not afraid to gut a team that don't want to play. After saturday nights game I'm surprised more aren't gone ..........the week ain't over yet heheheheh

[uglyfish]

Giguere was a good goalie once, just like Toskala. Everyone but Hagman and White were useless for the leafs so they might miss those two. Picking up another penalty taking defenceman is a real head scratcher but you know how Burke likes his goons. It will be easy to tell if these were good moves or not. The Leafs sit in 29th place right now, if they can gain any spots, it will be a success. If they stay 29th or get caught by the Oilers and end up 30th it will be deemed a failure. Except to me (Bruins Fan) I'm loving the chance to pick high in the 1st round this year and next year as well. The only upside I can think of is Elisha Cuthbert (Dion's GF) will come to some games and get some quality camera time watching her man get frustrated and taking penalties for the leafs.

 

 

when was toskola good?? its hockey... penalties happen... u know, the teams the leafs play, they take penalties too ya know! yup, its true... even boston

[jediangler]

Toskala was good, before he came to Toronto. Chances are he'll be good again once he goes somewhere else, kinda like Raycroft on Saturday night. Boston does take penalties but they have the 2nd best penalty killing record after San Jose. If you can't kill penalties (Leafs are the league worst penalty killers) don't take them.

[Governator]

Good trades all around for all teams involved imo. Giguere lost the #1 spot in duck land is becoming a big waste of cap space for the ducks at 6.5mil/yr. They'd gladly pick up a backup goalie and a forward for less money. Basically the leafs got Giguere for blake which is a solid improvement between the pipes for T.O. They are also only tied to him until next season so they'll have options to resign him or use him for trade bait.

 

I love Ian White as a person, probably the best all around guy in the dressing room and will be missed in that regard but the Phaneuf trade is good for the leafs. They will be tougher to play against and if Kaberle waves his no trade clause I think we could pick up a solid forward.

 

Also White has been playing terrible of late, I believe he's a -10 over the last 2 weeks. Won't miss Stajan or Mayers, will be a shame to see Hagman go though. Price you pay for adding depth on the blueline.

[uglyfish]

Toskala was good, before he came to Toronto. Chances are he'll be good again once he goes somewhere else, kinda like Raycroft on Saturday night. Boston does take penalties but they have the 2nd best penalty killing record after San Jose. If you can't kill penalties (Leafs are the league worst penalty killers) don't take them.

 

 

toskola wasnt any better in san jose. he played in what, 30 games? when u have the best team in the league in front of u, yea... u look much better then u actually are.

 

raycroft was an excellant goalie. what killed him was ferguson gettin toskola in the first place. i still dont understand how a guy playing on a mediocre team, can still tie ur team record for wins, and still not be good enough to have the starting job the next season!?

[love2fishhave2work]

There was one real hockey player in this trade and the Leafs got him. The others are all filler.

[Cookslav]

All I had to hear was "Phaneuf & Giguere" to know we came out of the trade pretty good LOL!

 

I'm a Leafs fan and to be brutally honest I'm not sad to see any of those other boys go.

Some young talent but lets be realistic instead of polite and nice about the situation...

None of them are premier players, none of them were going to get any better...

All we ever heard about them was "they are maturing so well....they are going to be great....they are so much better this year"

How many years of pro play do you really need to be a developed, consitent/effective player anyway?

 

The decision to trade these guys was probobly not easy but in truth they all had settled into their role with the team, and it simply was not a good fit.

(be it a style, coaching, or personal clash)

 

No offence meant to the boys but the leafs were not going anywere with their chemistry, and they had more then enough time to try and prove differently.

Blake is a prime exsample....

That boy has got wheels, and soft hands but he just never really filled the role he was put into.

 

At this point any change was good IMO

Giguere is the better goalie no question.

Toskala was shakey...his time was up

As for Phaneuf....LOVE IT!

 

Perhaps the Leafs are making a System change?

Instead of the failed attempt at a high energy Offence they may be positioning for heavy D?

Lots of work to come though LOL....

[NAC]

toskola wasnt any better in san jose. he played in what, 30 games? when u have the best team in the league in front of u, yea... u look much better then u actually are.

 

 

Being a SJ fan, yeah he was much better in Cali and he rivaled Nabakov at times. That's when they traded him to get good returns.... if only the Laughs understood that.

When you have a crap team infront of you... well, you look like crap.

[Cookslav]

When you have a crap team infront of you... well, you look like crap.

 

I don't know about that...

Belfour, and Joeseph never had much of a team infront of them but they managed to be game stealers?

 

Thats the difference between a good goalie, and decent goalie...

A good goalie can steal a game, and decent goalie is only as good as his defence.

 

Toskola was a decent goalie, and perhaps even a good back up.

But one thing was for certain...his time was up in Toronto

 

He is probobly glad to have been traded because the leafs were not doing anything good for his confidence, and he was not doing anything good for the Leafs. Pretty mutual move if you ask me.

[Rizzo]

how many goals does giguere have this year? Leafs have to find scoring somewhere, and giguere is just as likely to score as the rest of the filler making up the line-up (except Kessel...but he only cost 2 TOP draft picks and a 2nd rounder)

[TDunn]

All I had to hear was "Phaneuf & Giguere" to know we came out of the trade pretty good LOL!

 

Agreed.

I was surprised with the trade.

Im a fan of Phaneuf's style.Any team can use a player like him. (IMO)

I guess we will see....

 

 

TDunn

[Paulus]

My observations:

• Blake and Toskala for Gigure: I would do this trade 7 times a week, twice on Sunday. When J.S. was stonewalling the Red Wings 4-0 didn't we all wish we had HIM in our nets?
  
• Ian White: I will miss him, for sure. Worst part to lose.
  
• Calgary gets: 2 UFA's in Stajan and Hagman. They could be gone at the end of the season. Would YOU trade Dion Phaneuf for that???
  
• Aule: who is he? Any good?
  
• Phaneuf: if anyone watched the tape of him on TSN today, during practice... I don't know the last time we had a guy this intense. Maybe that didn't fit so well in Calgary, but the Leafs need a big shot of it.
  
• Trade Law #1: who gets the big name in the trade wins. Leafs win the Phaneuf trade. Leafs win the Giguere Trade.
  
• Playoffs for the Leafs: 2012. I mean, they won the trades. It's easy to win trades. It's winning games that counts.
  
• P.S.: don't blame Kessel for not scoring when he's bieng double and tripple teamed - the Leafs only legitimate threat will be looking kind of lonely out there.
  

 

Oh yeah... Boston still get's the last laugh. Sorry, Brian.

 

p.-

Edited February 2, 2010 by Paulus

[Mike Pike]

Phaneuff is another good, young player for the Leafs to re-build with, like Kessel, and another good move by Burke. Rebuilding a hockey team is a slow process and requires patience. I watched the Leafs do it incorrectly for so many years that I'm gonna cut him a lot of slack and be patient.

[JohnF]

I'd like to see Kaberle, and perhaps some filler, traded for a big strong centre, preferably of the first line kind.

 

JF

[anders]

The leafs have too much money tied up in three people...Kessel, Phaneuf, and Giggy, especially Giggy, who already knows that Burkes plan is for Jonas to be the goalie of the future.

 

Goaltending in Toronto is always an off topic to me, quick to praise, quick to get kicked out of town...ie Raycroft...breaks record for wins, yet still becomes the goat...good on ya guys.

 

This will work in leafs favour, if....IF, toronto turns around and trades Giggy while he's relatively young for a top 6 forward...otherwise...

 

 

thanks for the great draft pick again!!!

[Governator]

The leafs have too much money tied up in three people...Kessel, Phaneuf, and Giggy, especially Giggy, who already knows that Burkes plan is for Jonas to be the goalie of the future.

 

Goaltending in Toronto is always an off topic to me, quick to praise, quick to get kicked out of town...ie Raycroft...breaks record for wins, yet still becomes the goat...good on ya guys.

 

This will work in leafs favour, if....IF, toronto turns around and trades Giggy while he's relatively young for a top 6 forward...otherwise...

 

 

thanks for the great draft pick again!!!

 

 

I disagree, they unloaded Toskala & Blake (both were $4mil/yr) for Giggy's contract of $7mil which is up after next season. That gives them tons of options next year, he possibly could have trade value, they could resign him for probably $4-5mil, or who knows he possibly could be back in Stanley Cup form (He did just win a cup in 07).

 

Phaneuf will be the face of the franchise, you have to expect to pay for that.

 

If Kaberle waives his no trade clause they will unload him with another D, probably Finger as a package deal for a top forward. That's my guess anyway.

[Cookslav]

I think I see a plan forming....but what do I know LOL

 

They are makeing a full change in their system as their attempt at a fast high energy offence didn't hold any water LOL...

I think they are going to bulk the Big D system, and rely on their Marly talent to step up and develop....

Kinda like what they did the last 2 years.

 

With Defence like Phaneuf, Caberle & komisarek on the blue line(assuming Komisarek can come back well)

on the blue line with some back up like Schenn, and Beauchemin to learn from the other 3 they have perhaps one of the leagues most solid blue lines.

Through in a hot goaltender which Giggy has the potential to provide....the Big D system is in place to allow a good young crop of forwards to develop.

 

Kessel is gonna struggle being an easy target to shadow, but if the leafs can pick up one or two decent forwards, and bring up some Marly talent they might just get off to a good start next season. But that all depends on Burkes ability to draft well, and pull the right guys up from the farm.

And of course Giggy needs to be spot on....And in truth with a decent blue line in front of him there is no reason not to, so for his carreer I hope he rises to the occasion.

 

Totally a shot in the dark, and its just prediction, but thats how I see it

[JohnF]

Dunno how much is part of a grand plan and how much is just plain luck arising out of desperation, but there are glimmerings of hope after only one game. Yeah yeah, I know, one game ain't a season, but there was plenty to like in it. Jiggy looked calm, cool and confident. Phaneuf was certainly a presence, and when the others learn to watch for him moving in on the offense he's gonna get some up close onetimers at the net. Sjostrom (shoostrom???) was all there and made his presence felt. The rest of the guys seemed a little more aggressive with some solid stand up clean hits à la Phaneuf (Schenn particularly). Kessel still needs to become more of a team guy and move the puck sooner, but he sure has some nifty moves.

 

As all the Leaf detractors are quick to point out, the Devils suck lately, although it's good to remember that sucking and all they're still at the head of the Atlantic bunch, for now, and something like 4th overall.

 

If we can believe even a little of Wilson's joyful bleating about fellowship and leadership Phaneuf et al seem to have brought some new energy to the team, in the dressing room and on the ice. The test will be how long it lasts.

 

Anyway, last night was a good time to be a leaf fan.

 

JF

[lookinforwalleye]

Ah nothing like a win to bring the Leaf faithful out of the closet!!

Don`t plan the parade route yet.