PHANEUF!

Brian Burke, you son of a bitch. Just as I was getting sad and depressed about this team, you make a huge move and get me interested again. What a way to wake up on Sunday, eh?

So, now Dion Phaneuf is a Toronto Maple Leaf. This is a player who can change a game, much like Phil Kessel. Phaneuf brings the hammer; he can change the momentum with a single hit. Oh, and he can do it on a regular basis. Unlike Exelby though, Dion also has the offensive tools to score goals and assists. The Toronto Sun calls him a "stud". I am going to call him a two-way player. He can play up to 30 minutes a night, shut down the best the other team has to offer, and produce offence.

Dion has had a rough year though. Once, he was a lock for the Canadian Olympic team and was a Norris Trophy candidate. He has struggled and found himself to be expendable. Why is that?

I think it is easy to see why Dion has struggled. Phaneuf is a bit of a rover - he likes to pinch and play offence, and he also likes to take risks and throw the body. Under Brent Sutter, he has been reigned in and it has affected his ability to produce. Also, the signing of Jay Bouwmeester has taken minutes from Dion. A team only needs one "elite" defenceman, and when Calgary brought in Bouwmeester, it became a case of too many hens in the hen house. Bouwmeester has not played too well in Calgary, either.

I don't think we will see the full effect of having Dion until next year.

I will miss Hagman. He was a creative player and he was locked into a sensible contract. White and his moustache will be missed as well. I had thought of Stajan as a Leaf for life for some reason. Mayers...well, I got nothing for him. Still, it was the cost of doing business. Outside of Mayers, all three players can add something to a team - but they are replaceable. A player like Phaneuf is harder to find.

I want to see Phaneuf and Komisarek as a pair. I think they both play solid defence, and Komisarek's steady play can set Phaneuf free to jump into a play or throw a big hit.

Does this move make Kaberle expendable? Will Phaneuf regain his All-Star form with the Leafs? These questions can only be answered by time.

Just when I think I'm out...

...they keep pulling me back in!

These Toronto Maple Leafs might have dug themselves into a deep hole in October, but they are determined to remain relevant and interesting. Sure, they spotted the Florida Panthers an early two goal lead in the first period. Unlike earlier in the season, however, the blue and white managed to battle back and eventually grab the win. It was very refreshing to see Toronto hold the lead late and defend it without the opposition creating one amazing scoring chance after another.

The Maple Leafs are 5-4-3 in the month of November. 13 points in 12 games is in no way a great month, but for a team that won once in October, it is a vast improvement. The players have not given up yet, and that gives me at least a small amount of hope that this team can battle back and compete for a playoff spot.

As Greg Millen said tonight, the puck just seems to find the good goal scorers sometimes. The second Kessel goal definitly follows that adage. The first goal by Kessel was just a supreme effort by a talented player. I could watch that goal for days and not get bored of it. Hagman continued his excellent play with two goals. Both came from his willingness to go to the net and fight for space. His backhander through a crowd had eyes and I was very suprised to see the puck even reach Vokoun.

The star of the game, in my eyes, was Ponikarovsky. People always bash him, but he has been a key contributor for this team for years now. To see him involved in four goals tonight was not a suprise. When he decides to compete, he has both the size and strength to bully the defence and he has enough of a scoring touch to be a threat around the crease. With Mats Sundin, he was a force, and last season he scored a career high 23 goals without Mats. I believe Alexei is a free agent at the end of this season, and I wonder if he will go the way of Antropov and be moved.

This was a good game for the Leafs. To come back on the road is always a strong statement. Hopefully, the Leafs can keep this little streak going and inch their way back into the race.

The Hagman Question

The Leafs beat Tampa Bay tonight, and it was a bit of a wild affair with sloppy play by both teams allowing some excellent scoring chances and some big hits. Garnett Exelby's low (but not dirty) hit on Steve Downie early on was a treat to see.

Nikolai Kulemin and Matt Stajan both scored, while Niklas Hagman had two goals. His play tonight and over the course of the season has raised a question - what does Brian Burke do with him?

Hagman has 2 more years after this season left on a contract that pays him $3,000,000. That is a very good price for a player who can score and be used in all situations including the penalty kill. Hagman's 11 goals so far leads the Toronto Maple Leafs and he is always working hard on the forecheck. When you add everything together, Nik Hagman is a very attractive forward.

So, what does Brian Burke do with him? The Leafs are not out of the playoff race yet and a hot streak could come at any time, but the odds are that they will be on the outside looking in come playoff time. With his reasonable contract and his abilities, Nik Hagman could bring the Leafs a good prospect and a pick in trade. However, if Burke thinks this team will be able to bounce back and compete next season, then holding onto a player who can produce on the second line would be a good idea.

Personally, I like Hagman. There are some players who seem unwilling to battle for the puck and play a hard-nosed game. Hagman battles. He pushes and shoves more then he dekes before finishing a play, but he also has the hands to score some beautiful goals. He is not a Phil Kessel or a Alex Ovechkin, but he is a capable and reliable player who will be an important part of this team this season and next. I would keep Hagman with the Leafs.

What do you think? Do you think Hagman should stay, or do you think he should be moved for picks and/or prospects?

EDIT - Here is another beauty by Hagman.