Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames Make a Blockbuster Deal!

Toronto Maple Leafs traded forwards Nikla Hagman, Matt Stajan, Jamal Mayer with defenseman Ian White for the hard hitting Calgary Flames defensenman Dion Phaneuf and Keith Aulie along with forward Fredrik Sjostrom. The center piece of the deal is defenseman Dion Phaneuf who is only 24 years of age which Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke will try to build his team around. Burke wasn't done there as he then made another deal with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks sending goalie Vesa Toskala and forward Jason Blake for Stanley Cup winning goalie Jean Sebastian Giguere.

With trade rumors surrounding about Phaneuf this month I was surprised to see him go to a team that isn't in the playoff hunt and instead going to a team in the rebuilding mode.

All in all the Maple Leafs traded their offense for defense. Keith Aulie also in the deal is a 6'6 defenseman who skates well who Burke thinks will be a good NHL player when his time comes. He's playing in the AHL as of now.

Both teams bettered themselves with this block buster deal. Calgary adds some offense to their line up and will look to stop their struggles of late. They still hold an eight seed spot in the Western Conference, even though they have been 1-6-3 in their last 10.

Maple Leafs are in dead last in the Eastern Conference and are building for the future starting the process on defense. Two huge defenseman locked in and a GM who says he's not done yet. Burke also added he wishes his players who departed the best of luck and welcomes the new members of his squad.

See Brian Burke press release for the block buster trade here: http://www.puckvideo.com