Sunday, January 31, 2010

Huge Changes In Leafs Nation

Life has changed drastically.
With one shift on the AM dial the way I look at the Toronto Maple Leafs changed forever.
Brian Burke was announcing his newly finalized blockbuster deal with the Calgary Flames.
Burke brought over World Junior Gold Medal winning Defensive prospect Keith Aulie, former 2001 first round pick (11th Overall) Fredrik Sjostrom, and most importantly two-time All-Star defenceman Dion Phaneuf from the Flames in exchange for Forwards Niklas Hagman, Matt Stajan and Jamal Mayers, and defenceman Ian White.
This can't be real. My brain couldn''t register the fact that we just completed robbed the Flames of an elite player.
But then no, there's more.
Burke comes back to announce another trade, this one with the Anaheim Ducks.
Going out is overpriced forward Jason Blake and over played goaltender Vesa Toskala, King of the Softies.
Coming in, former All-Star and Conn Smythe winning goaltender J.S. Giguere.
Words cannot express the genius that is Brian Burke's mind.
How can this be real?
Basically, Burke paid Nik Hagman and Ian White for Phaneuf, Matt Stajan for Sjostrom and Aulie, and Mayers to bring Elisha Cuthbert to the ACC for 41 days a year.