Leafs busy as deadline looms posted by Andy Charles
As the trade deadline approaches it was the Toronto Maple Leafs who made the first big moves to start the rebuilding of their franchise with the addition of hulking defenseman Dion Phaneuf and veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
The Leafs appear unlikely to challenge for the Eastern Conference playoff places this season, sitting bottom after a 5-3 defeat by Vancouver on Saturday that saw them take a 3-0 lead and fall to an embarrassing defeat with some poor play on the blueline.
Toronto have let in more goals than any other team in the NHL this season and needed a real shutdown defender who also provides some offense – there are few better at both, according to NHL Picks, than Phaneuf.
GM Brian Burke appears to have started work early and, other than center Matt Stajan, doesn’t seem to have given up much in the way of talent to add two players who could be a real improvement on their current staff.
Phaneuf, at 6ft 6ins, will give a deal more stability than Ian White on the first defensive pairing and when Mike Komisarek returns to his best after shoulder trouble they have a couple of veterans to look after promising youngsters Luke Schenn and Carl Gunnarsson.
The Leafs also received veteran winger Fredrik Sjostrom and prospect Keith Aulie in the Phaneuf deal, giving up Stajan, White, Niklas Hagman and Jamal Mayers.
Aulie could be a very interesting add to the Toronto farm as well, since he played very well for Canada in the World Junior Championship, and his size will also be something for the Leafs to make use of when he is ready to graduate from the American Hockey League.
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