Now that we’ve seen each team in the Flames-Leafs blockbuster play a game how does the deal work?
For Calgary:
This was a move that sent a message to the team… Play to the expectations or we’ll find guys who are hungry enough to do it, plain and simple. I have an inkling that Dion wasn’t being the best locker room guy and wanted out. It’s emotional enough to be traded and it seems like his emotions were from the shock but seeing him in the interviews over in Toronto suggests that he wanted out… BAD!
IAN WHITE is a steady defenceman who is getting better at reading the play offesively and his stick work and ability to shut down players will make up for anything Dion could’ve been doing. Some more food for thought… Ian White was rumored to be in line for the Captaincy in Toronto, which has now been left vacant for Dion…
MATT STAJAN, remember folks, he broke into the league playing with guys like Mats Sundin, Gary Roberts, Joe Nieuwendyk, Alex Mogilny, Ron Francis (briefly), Brian Leetch (briefly) and Owen Nolan… He can definitely play alongside Iginla and by the way, he had flashes of good playmaking for Iggy during the Philly game, just seems like the timing is off… And for the icing on the cake, Stajan can and does win face offs, which is more than all the Centermen can say on the Flames…
JAMAL MAYERS is tough, gritty and Sutter brand hockey. He’s fast, wins faceoffs and is a team-first guy (Yes, he asked to be traded from Toronto, only because he’s 35 and won’t be in their short term plans of rebuilding)…
NIKLAS HAGMAN is happy to be back in the Western Conference (had some good years with the Stars in Dallas) and was the Flames best player among these 4. Quick with his hands, has a knack for the net and likes to shoot. He was Toronto’s leading goal scorer for good reason and guess who he often played with??? Yep, Matt Stajan… these two and Iggy will be an upgrade from any other line combo seen this year with Iggy.
For Toronto…
DION PHANEUF has become the official face of the Toronto Maple Leafs and by the looks of it, he’s enjoying every bit of the spotlight. Something that he may have wanted here but instead became the whipping boy for everything gone bad with the Flames… (He scored an F on my report card!) After seeing his first game as a Leaf, I couldn’t help but wonder why he stopped doing those things for Calgary. He was hitting, fighting, shooting and being a leader… Yikes!
FREDRICK SJOSTROM was Fredrick Sjostrom… fast, hard working and feisty. He worked well on the Peanlty Kill tonight and got an assist on the first Maple Leaf goal by Nikolai Kulemin… He showed flashes of this in Calgary but seemed lost in the system Sutter was instilling into the players. He’ll continue on his steady-ness in Toronto.
KEITH AULIE is all potential and a kid who stands at 6.6ft. He was coveted by Brian Burke and was a key piece as to why 4 established players were given up.
Winner: I hate to say it but this stinks of a Toronto Maple Leaf steal… The Flames will kick themselves when Dion steps it up to next level, superstardom ala Doug Gilmour back in 1990. Why do I say this? He’s changed the culture of the Toronto Maple Leafs… He’s stepped up to the plate as a leader and the players are feeding off of this. His ego has now found a home. For the Flames, these are just four guys trying their best to improve a struggling club. They’re not expected to be saviours but are expected to contribute to the club with their steady play…
Always a pleasure!
naoto
