Well the big elephant that was in the room was finally asked to leave. No one should be surprised by this, we all saw coming, we knew right away when Sutter said he wasn't trading him. Now lets actually break down this trade, because I don't think it is as bad as some say, heck on the calgaryflames.com message board they are comparing it to the leeman gilmour trade
To Flames
Ian White - Highly underrated, young, promising D-man. G 9 A 17 P 26 SH 130. Has been pretty consistent over the years and already has 4 years of NHL experience. Only has 8 less points than Phaneuf this year. We are so deep at D that really Phaneuf leaving isn't as huge of an impact as one might think. It is a loss though for sure.
Matt Stajan - Young, some what inconsistent forward. G 16 A 25 P 41 SH 114 Many thought he would be a 20 goal scorer at least by now, and though he probably will be there this year, it has taken quite along time for Stajan to become the offensive player many thought he would become in T.O. He is a set-up man though and could be that center Iginla has been looking for.
Nik Hagman - Mid-aged, highly skilled, but somewhat unmotivated forward. G 20 A 13 P 33 SH 148. Hagman is a strange player. He reminds of a Kovalev, but only the unmotivated, lazy Kovalev all the time. He never really broke out in the NHL as an offensive dynamo, accept when he got 27 goals in Dallas. I could see him becoming Huselius version 2 playing with the likes of an Iginla or Bourque, or even his fellow country man Jokinen.
Jamal Mayers - Older, one-dimensional, forward. G 2 A 6 P 8 SH 47. Simply a tact on player, could easily be seen as a straight across trade for Sjostrom. Definitely not an impact player what so ever.
To Leafs:
Dion Phaneuf - Young, multi-skilled, but somewhat inconsistent franchise D-man. G 10 A 12 P 32 A 138. Phaneuf is an amazing player. He can hit with some of the best in the league, has a lethal shot, and possesses the potential to become an all-round d-man. But he just has not been great the last 2 years, which is unfortunate because I really enjoyed what Phaneuf showed he could bring on most nights. I am happy he got a goal in his final game as a Flame and I truly believe he will wreck the east.
Fredrick Sjostrom - Youngish, one-dimensional forward. G 1 A 5 P 6 SH 33. See Jamal Mayers write up. Also, it's kinda fitting that his one goal as a Flame is probably one of the nicest of the year for the Flames
Kieth Aulie - Young, promising Propect D-man. G 7 A 27 P 33 with the Brandon Wheat Kings this year. The 6 foot 6 D-man seems to be doing well in the minors and has experienced time with the World Juniours in his young hockey career. Look for him to be an eventual starter in the NHL in the coming years.
I think it is a pretty even trade. It helps Calgary now, and it helps T.O. for the future. Time will tell if this trade pays off though as a guy like Phaneuf most likely has his best years ahead of him at 24 years of age.