The first move brought in hard-hitting defenseman Dion Phaneuf from the Calgary Flames. Phaneuf, who has not been playing up to form with the Flames, has been dangled as trade bait throughout
the season in an effort to get some scoring help. When on his game, he's an elite-level player with a booming shot and a penchant for thunderous open-ice hits. If he regains his form with the Leafs, it could turn out to be a franchise-changing move for a floundering Toronto team. The Leafs, who also acquired Frederik Sjostrom and Keith Aulie in the deal, gave up their two leading scorers in Niklas Hagman and Matt Stajan, along with offensive-defenseman Ian White and the gritty Jamal Mayers. The move looks good for both clubs. The Flames get some needed offensive depth and a decent puck-moving defenseman in White, while the Leafs get a high-profile player who could thrive in the biggest hockey market the NHL has to offer.
The Leafs then made another splash byacquiring goaltender J.S. Giguere from the Anaheim Ducks for embattled goaltender Vesa Toskala and winger Jason Blake. The deal was all but done when the Ducks re-signed second-year goalie and current starter Jonas Hiller to a four-year contract just days before, and Giguere agreed to waive his no-trade clause. Giguere, who won a Stanley Cup with Burke in Anaheim in 2007 and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2003, gets an opportunity at redemption with the Leafs and will serve as a buffer in goal until freshman phenom Jonas Gustavsson is ready to take the reins. The Ducks get Toskala, who should be able to take some of the goaltending pressure off the young Hiller, and Blake, who can provide secondary scoring and speed.Also, details are sketchy, but it looks as though the Flames have made another big move, trading Olli Jokinen to the New York Rangers for forwards Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins. Jokinen, who like Phaneuf has elite-level abilities, has not played up to snuff in Calgary and should enjoy the fresh start. The same could be said for Kotalik and Higgins, two players who never really hit their stride in their first season with the Rangers.
