Trade Deadline

Gold medal for the Canadian team?

Oh yeah, we rocked that shit. Crosby's overtime goal will probably be remembered as one of the best Canadian goals scored on the international stage. When I saw it on TV, I didn't even realize what had happened until the crowd went insane. It was a great moment for hockey and for hockey fans here in Canada and the United States. The US team was scary good. No one expected them to be as good as they were, but the goaltending of Ryan Miller and the quick and young forwards they had made them a real force. They caught Canada in the round robin, and almost got them again in the gold medal game.

Now that the Olympics are out of the way, we return to your regularly scheduled crazy NHL program. Now, with the trade deadline approaching, we are left to wonder if Burkie will be moving anyone else.

Really, the major move for the Leafs was made before the Olympics with the acquisitions of Dion Phaneuf and JS Giguere. The Maple Leafs still have several expiring contracts and some assets that other teams would desire. One is Tomas Kaberle.

For almost a whole year now, the rumours of Kaberle leaving town have been swirling. Although Tomas continues to deny that he would like to leave and says he will not waive his NTC, the Leafs would probably get back a sizable amount of picks and/or assets if they were to trade Kaberle. The two main issues are A) would Kaberle be willing to waive his no trade clause and B) would the Leafs want to move him anyway.

Another player who could move is Alexei Ponikarovsky. He has improved greatly over the last few seasons and is a legit 20 goal scorer in this league with the potential to score more. If Dominic Moore or Jordan Leopold are worth second round picks, then Alexei Ponikarovsky is worth AT LEAST a second round pick. He is a better player then Moore right now and could be a good addition to any team looking for a boost.

It will be interesting to see if Brian Burke makes any more moves at the deadline.

PHANEUF!

Brian Burke, you son of a bitch. Just as I was getting sad and depressed about this team, you make a huge move and get me interested again. What a way to wake up on Sunday, eh?

So, now Dion Phaneuf is a Toronto Maple Leaf. This is a player who can change a game, much like Phil Kessel. Phaneuf brings the hammer; he can change the momentum with a single hit. Oh, and he can do it on a regular basis. Unlike Exelby though, Dion also has the offensive tools to score goals and assists. The Toronto Sun calls him a "stud". I am going to call him a two-way player. He can play up to 30 minutes a night, shut down the best the other team has to offer, and produce offence.

Dion has had a rough year though. Once, he was a lock for the Canadian Olympic team and was a Norris Trophy candidate. He has struggled and found himself to be expendable. Why is that?

I think it is easy to see why Dion has struggled. Phaneuf is a bit of a rover - he likes to pinch and play offence, and he also likes to take risks and throw the body. Under Brent Sutter, he has been reigned in and it has affected his ability to produce. Also, the signing of Jay Bouwmeester has taken minutes from Dion. A team only needs one "elite" defenceman, and when Calgary brought in Bouwmeester, it became a case of too many hens in the hen house. Bouwmeester has not played too well in Calgary, either.

I don't think we will see the full effect of having Dion until next year.

I will miss Hagman. He was a creative player and he was locked into a sensible contract. White and his moustache will be missed as well. I had thought of Stajan as a Leaf for life for some reason. Mayers...well, I got nothing for him. Still, it was the cost of doing business. Outside of Mayers, all three players can add something to a team - but they are replaceable. A player like Phaneuf is harder to find.

I want to see Phaneuf and Komisarek as a pair. I think they both play solid defence, and Komisarek's steady play can set Phaneuf free to jump into a play or throw a big hit.

Does this move make Kaberle expendable? Will Phaneuf regain his All-Star form with the Leafs? These questions can only be answered by time.