2009-2010 NHL Season

[Davey]

It's hard to say who won that trade when there's not a whole lot going back and forth. You've got Phaneuf who is possibly the most overrated defenseman in the league, going to the Leafs, who stink, in exchange for 4 players who Burke might have decided to punish for losing to the Canucks.

I'd say this is a win-win, but it's just shifting players for the sake of shifting players. I just can't look at this and say that either team really improved.

I wouldn't say Phaneuf is overrated, maybe just needs a new direction and this trade to the Leafs could possibly help his career. But your right it is a win win situation and im surprised the Leafs got Phaneuf with out giving up any drafts. Who knows he could be the next Captain, we shall find out. Yet, out of the whole trade the person im sad to see to go is Ian White, now that is a player that is underrated.

[njmeadowlanders]

Wow I wasn't expecting to see that this morning...

Certainly going to be talked about up north. Here, not so much as we'll be discussing what kind of stretching the Mets will do in their first spring training workout in a couple of weeks...no...seriously...

[Brass]

If anybody is looking for hilarious entertainment, go to HFBoards.com right now. Flames fans are going nuts. Before the trade was announced, you can read their posts like "We better be getting Jamal Mayers!", "We better be getting Niklas Hagman!", "We better be getting Ian White!". Then, when the deal is announced, they bitch about how they were ripped off, even though they wanted these guys to begin with. Utterly hilarious.

[Lee.]

It's hard to say who won that trade when there's not a whole lot going back and forth. You've got Phaneuf who is possibly the most overrated defenseman in the league, going to the Leafs, who stink, in exchange for 4 players who Burke might have decided to punish for losing to the Canucks.

I'd say this is a win-win, but it's just shifting players for the sake of shifting players. I just can't look at this and say that either team really improved.

I wouldn't say Phaneuf is overrated, maybe just needs a new direction and this trade to the Leafs could possibly help his career. But your right it is a win win situation and im surprised the Leafs got Phaneuf with out giving up any drafts. Who knows he could be the next Captain, we shall find out. Yet, out of the whole trade the person im sad to see to go is Ian White, now that is a player that is underrated.

Phaneuf's a headhunting, one-trick pony. Toronto got him and two guys I didn't even realize were on the Flames for four career underachievers.

And you read me wrong. I WOULD say this is a win-win, BUT it's just shifting players for the sake of shifting players. This does nothing to address either team's problems, but it gives Leafs Nation an excuse to believe that Burke might be worth his salt. He's not. He's all bluster.

And now I see that he's trading Toskala, a guy who let in 5 goals in 30 minutes, for JS Giguere, who peaked in 2003? Yup, that's the Burke MO. Next he'll be trying to bring the Babych brothers out of retirement so he can tell the fans that they kinda look alike, so they'll provide the same level of play that the Sedins would have brought to Toronto had that underhanded Mike Gillis not flown out to Stockholm before he did.

Enjoy that top 3 pick, Boston, you've earned it.

[charger77]

Will this lead to Kaberle for Giguere?

Eklund (Not that he has much credit) is putting Toskala and Blake at an E5 for Giguere

[Davey]

Giguere to Toronto for Toskala and Jason Blake per Darren Dreger Twitter.

Leafs got rid of Blake, and im happy with that. The Leafs got rid of alot of the players that where on this "loosing team". Now its time to bring up the young guys and let them shine.

[lopernv]

Get me whatever Mr. Sutter is smoking, please.

[NEW.ERA]

I'm all for this deal except that Stajan is a UFA and we lose a 24 Year Old Defensman who still has some room to grow, I'd have to suspect if Stajan doesn't resign we get a Leaf Draft Pick which we sorely need. I'm going to miss Keith Aullie who I believe could become a good defenseman down the road.

If this deal doesn't click and the Flames end up not doing anything I'm certain D-Sutts gets a kick out the door.

[charger77]

How does today impact a Kovalchuck trade, signing or UFA signing?

-Dan

[NEW.ERA]

How does today impact a Kovalchuck trade, signing or UFA signing?

-Dan

I'll say Toronto is out of the running.

[Corvus]

If anybody is looking for hilarious entertainment, go to HFBoards.com right now. Flames fans are going nuts. Before the trade was announced, you can read their posts like "We better be getting Jamal Mayers!", "We better be getting Niklas Hagman!", "We better be getting Ian White!". Then, when the deal is announced, they bitch about how they were ripped off, even though they wanted these guys to begin with. Utterly hilarious.

The most surprising part of this post to me is that someone actually wanted Jamal Mayers as part of the trade. I mean, why would Flames fans want that guy?

[NEW.ERA]

If anybody is looking for hilarious entertainment, go to HFBoards.com right now. Flames fans are going nuts. Before the trade was announced, you can read their posts like "We better be getting Jamal Mayers!", "We better be getting Niklas Hagman!", "We better be getting Ian White!". Then, when the deal is announced, they bitch about how they were ripped off, even though they wanted these guys to begin with. Utterly hilarious.

The most surprising part of this post to me is that someone actually wanted Jamal Mayers as part of the trade. I mean, why would Flames fans want that guy?

WE already have two Mayers on this team, one is bad enough. Mayers will be on Waivers very soon Guaranteed.

Burke just threw him in there.

[NEW.ERA]

The more I think about it I really like this trade. We pick up an extra Rene Bourque (Stajan), an extra Nigel Dawes (Hagman) and an extra Mark Giordano (White) for you guys out east and don't follow the Northwest that's really a good deal.

And what's even better is that this deal happened two weeks ahead of the Olympics if this happened after the Olympics I think it could be a volatile situation.

[Lee.]

The more I think about it I really like this trade. We pick up an extra Rene Bourque (Stajan), an extra Nigel Dawes (Hagman) and an extra Mark Giordano (White) for you guys out east and don't follow the Northwest that's really a good deal.

And what's even better is that this deal happened two weeks ahead of the Olympics if this happened after the Olympics I think it could be a volatile situation.

So now you guys have two lines of second and third liners! Woo! It's nice that one of the Sutters is stocking u p on heart and grit guys, but at some point, you actually need to add more talent to the team. This trade gives you 11 or 12 roleplayers, plus Iggy, Bouwmeester and Kipper. You'll note that I haven't included Jokinen in the "talent" portion.

This does nothing to help your defense, which with the decline of Phaneuf and the stagnation of Regehr, is nowhere what it was a couple of years ago.

For the record, Phaneuf had no where left to grow. What you saw was what you got with him, as I said before, a one-trick pony. He's got a big inaccurate slapshot, a defensive liability, and his specialty was going after guys when they weren't looking. In other words, he was born to be a Leaf.

[Lee.]

How does today impact a Kovalchuck trade, signing or UFA signing?

-Dan

The Thrashers are unlikely to allow any teams to talk to him about a long-term deal prior to a trade, they'll want a lot in return for him as a rental, and he wants a ton. He's KHL bound.

[NEW.ERA]

The more I think about it I really like this trade. We pick up an extra Rene Bourque (Stajan), an extra Nigel Dawes (Hagman) and an extra Mark Giordano (White) for you guys out east and don't follow the Northwest that's really a good deal.

And what's even better is that this deal happened two weeks ahead of the Olympics if this happened after the Olympics I think it could be a volatile situation.

So now you guys have two lines of second and third liners! Woo! It's nice that one of the Sutters is stocking u p on heart and grit guys, but at some point, you actually need to add more talent to the team. This trade gives you 11 or 12 roleplayers, plus Iggy, Bouwmeester and Kipper. You'll note that I haven't included Jokinen in the "talent" portion.

This does nothing to help your defense, which with the decline of Phaneuf and the stagnation of Regehr, is nowhere what it was a couple of years ago.

For the record, Phaneuf had no where left to grow. What you saw was what you got with him, as I said before, a one-trick pony. He's got a big inaccurate slapshot, a defensive liability, and his specialty was going after guys when they weren't looking. In other words, he was born to be a Leaf.

Joker is a waste of a hockey player. This actually does something to the defense, Reggy should benefit from this now that he should be playing with Bouwmeester or Giordano and he doesn't have to worry about where Dion is on the Ice at all times because Jay and Mark take care of themselves.

This will help us if everyone plays like they have up to this point we subtract 11 Goals and add 47 this also helps the cap situation that we could possibly do one more move or resign Rene Bourque. Trust me I'm a lot happier for this deal then I was with Joker coming here.

[Corvus]

How does today impact a Kovalchuck trade, signing or UFA signing?

-Dan

The Thrashers are unlikely to allow any teams to talk to him about a long-term deal prior to a trade, they'll want a lot in return for him as a rental, and he wants a ton. He's KHL bound.

Seems pretty possible. I mean, he allegedly wants a maximum possible value contract. Which is ridiculous, as he's not the best player in league. He's a top 20 player who wants to be paid like he's the best guy in league.

[Lee.]

How does today impact a Kovalchuck trade, signing or UFA signing?

-Dan

The Thrashers are unlikely to allow any teams to talk to him about a long-term deal prior to a trade, they'll want a lot in return for him as a rental, and he wants a ton. He's KHL bound.

Seems pretty possible. I mean, he allegedly wants a maximum possible value contract. Which is ridiculous, as he's not the best player in league. He's a top 20 player who wants to be paid like he's the best guy in league.

He's the best player on the Thrashers, which is akin to being the prettiest Denny's waitress.

[njmeadowlanders]

How does today impact a Kovalchuck trade, signing or UFA signing?

-Dan

The Thrashers are unlikely to allow any teams to talk to him about a long-term deal prior to a trade, they'll want a lot in return for him as a rental, and he wants a ton. He's KHL bound.

Seems pretty possible. I mean, he allegedly wants a maximum possible value contract. Which is ridiculous, as he's not the best player in league. He's a top 20 player who wants to be paid like he's the best guy in league.

He's the best player on the Thrashers, which is akin to being the prettiest Denny's waitress.

OK but come on...he's only 26 and he's already got 328 career goals...averaging about 43 a season. The kid can play. If he's the prettiest Denny's waitress then that's one Denny's waitress that would be pretty damn attractive, despite the fact that she still works at a Denny's, no?

[HedleyLamarr]

How does today impact a Kovalchuck trade, signing or UFA signing?

-Dan

The Thrashers are unlikely to allow any teams to talk to him about a long-term deal prior to a trade, they'll want a lot in return for him as a rental, and he wants a ton. He's KHL bound.

Not quite. (And, for the record, I don't know anything more than what the media doesn't know.)

The Thrashers simply can't demand a ton in return PLUS restrict any suitors in not negociating a deal....it's going to be either get a lot in return and hope Kovalchuk doesn't work out a deal with his new team, OR accept less in return PLUS restrict the other team from talking with Kovalchuk.

Or they could do what Florida did with Bouwmeester last season: Keep him on the team for the rest of the season, see how the season ends, and continue to talk with Kovalchuk exclusively until 11:59pm ET June 30th. Then he'll either be re-signed or traded shortly before free agency opens...but the team would get a lot less in return.