Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Review
Today couldn’t have been one of the most uneventful day in the history of the NHL trade deadline. A total of 15 trades were competed today, the majority of them within the last hour before the clock reached the 3pm deadline. No major moves were completed on Monday, well no deals that could compare to the Jeff Carter to Los Angeles Kings deal which was completed last Friday.
In my opinion the biggest trade today was a tossup between the deal which brought Sergei Kostitsyn’s brother Andrei Kostitsyn to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2nd round pick in 2013 and a conditional 5th round pick in 2013. Versus the deal that saw Cody Hodgson, Alexander Sulzer sent to Buffalo for Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani.
Brian Burke ended up pulling off two deals today both involving prospects. His biggest deal of the two deals involved send Keith Aulie to the Tampa Bay Lightning for former 1st round draft pick Carter Ashton. This trade in my opinion was a pure hockey trade the met the needs for both team. Then Burke squeaked in a deal just before the 3pm deadline when Burke traded Dale Mitchell (a 2007 Draft selection) to the Anaheim Ducks for Mark Fraser.
Why I agree with what Brian Burke did; even though these two trade are not short term deals. I like the fact that we trade Aulie who is expendable because all the youth the Maple Leafs have on defense, in exchange for Ashton who is 6’3″ and over 200lbs forward. Then to make up for the loss of Aulie, Burke acquires Fraser who stands at 6’4″ and 220lbs. To finish off all I have to say is losers this season, winners down the road.
Why disagree with what Brian Burke did; first off, I kind of wish the situation with Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Graboski was settled today, either with a trade or a contract extension. I am personally not happy that we will have to wait until the off-season to see how the story of Grabovski continues. Toronto did not get the power forward we have been looking for, for years. Lastly, Burke did absolutely nothing that is going to impact the team in the short term, Toronto wants to see a playoff team and we want to see one now.
Rant Sports Toronto Maple Leafs Feature Writer
Look for my weekly blog “NHL Fantasy Hat-Trick” on Five Hole Dive
Email me at [email protected]
Follow me on Twitter @thejazlive
Leave a Rant
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
Rant Picks
FEATURED PARTNERS
- Guy Finishes The Boston Marathon Walking On His Hands Because His Legs Cramped Up
- "Hot Girls" Make Rebecca Black Look Like Adele
- Josh Hutcherson Adopts A Puppy
- Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Divorce -- Reconciliation Effort Hits a Cold Patch
- Dwight Howard's Baby Mama Royce Reed -- Dear Judge ... Please Let Me Trash My Ex!!!
- Brian 'The Boz' Bosworth Sued Over Poop System Disaster in Mansion from 'The OC'
- What Do You Think About the Pittsburgh Steelers’ New Retro Uniforms?
- You Wish You Could Fly Like Breitling’s Jetman
- Ask a Babe: Does Height Matter to Chicks and Banging Your Ex When You Go Home on College Breaks