Turns out, there’s speculation that the trade between Anaheim and Pittsburgh was an inadvertent 3 way trade with the Maple Leafs. That’s right, that big Ryan Whitney trade was for the bigger picture.
The rumor has Tomas Kaberle and a forward, believed to be Matt Stajan, going to the Penguins in exchange for Jordan Staal and Eric Tangradi. The move also gives the Ducks the opportunity to move out one of Pronger or Niedermayer, while it is believed the Niedermayer brothers could be on their way to New Jersey, surprise surprise.
Why this trade makes sense:
The Leafs would finally get their number one centerman with Mitchell and Grabovski filling in the 2nd and 3rd line roles, and land a great prospect who, you guessed it, was drafted by Burke himself in 2007. Tangradi has grown into what is considered the ideal power forward… wait a minute, this sounds familiar, wasn’t Burke trying to swing a deal with Boston to bring in Blake Wheeler, another power forward? Yes, that’s right; Burke is going about the right way in getting the type of player he wants.
It’s believed the Penguins wanted to get a deal done with Toronto, but as Burke demanded a top prospect, something the Penguins are short on after their trade last year for Hossa, they had to ship out Whitney to get it.
The breakdown, if the trade happens, would look like this:
Pittsburgh Adds: Kaberle, Stajan, Kunitz
Pittsburgh Drops: Whitney, Staal
Toronto Adds: Staal, Tangradi
Toronto Drops: Kaberle, Stajan
No word as of yet if a pick is also involved, but I for one would find this speculated deal to be rather interesting for both sides, and would definitely be a Brian Burke type trade. The Leafs would receive a gifted centerman locked up for similar dollar figures as Kaberle, and get a young up and coming prospect who could be their number 1 or 2 winger for years to come.
What are your thoughts on all the speculation? One thing is for sure, this, my friends, is the most wonderful time of the year. The Hockey holiday – 6 Days Away.
Micheal A. Aldred
michealaldred@mapleleafshotstove.com
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February 27th, 2009 at 12:31 am
Thanks Mike. Bringing back Boyes would be great wouldn’t it lol.
These are going to be a long next 5 days. Make us proud Burke.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:33 am
@ Dan: haha yeah lol I just want to see another first rounder, regardless. The more I watched Brayden Schenn, the more I like his play. Reminds me so much of Wendal Clark.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:38 am
@ Micheal
Absolutely. I’ve heard reports that Brayden’s determination and leadership could even surpass Luke’s… And I don’t think we can afford not to take him.
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That said, adding a mid-first pick (Pittsburgh’s for example) would do wonders for us. If we could draft Zach Kassian, a big, gritty power forward who plays a very physical game, than I will be over the moon happy.
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Walking out of the first round with those two guys would be amazing. Our rebuild would be well under way.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:39 am
If that trade works (or worked) out I would have (or will) wet my pants! I have been preaching the Kaberle for Staal deal (like many others) since last deadline!
February 27th, 2009 at 12:40 am
You leafs fans are funny.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:48 am
If we keep winning we could forget about Brayden Schenn.
I think he’ll go in the top 5.
Looking at the Leafs schedule 14 of the last 20 games are against teams above .500 Hopefully we lose most of those.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:54 am
@ MH: Not sure what’s so funny about this, we’re just discussing what’s making the rounds and everyone is providing their own opinion.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:03 am
He’s just some random with no resemblance of a life to the point that he goes to websites dedicated to a team he does not like only to troll and stir the pot.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:06 am
haha owned by a mascot lol
February 27th, 2009 at 6:45 am
Some rumors courtesy of Andy Strickland:
“If Detroit loses out on Neil they could turn their attention to Maple Leafs forward Jamal Mayers who has one year remaining after this season. If Ron Wilson isn’t going to use Mayers, then they might as well move him.”
“There already is some whispering going on behind the scenes involving Leafs GM Brian Burke taking a strong run this summer at the Sedin Twins as well as Canucks forward Alex Burrows.
Word is Burke has a strong dislike for Canucks GM Mike Gillis for how the Dave Nonis era ended in Vancouver and this could be an effort to drive up the price on all three players who the Canucks are interested in retaining.”
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Andy-Strickland/NHL-Rink-Rats-and-Scoops/5/19641
February 27th, 2009 at 6:57 am
This is a classic moronic homer rumor. You consider why the Leafs would do this. But why would the Pens. It makes 0 sense for them. They just dumped Whitney because the have TOO MANY defensemen. Oh, yeah, and then there’s the cap.
And if the Pens do trade Staal, which is very unlikely, they are going to want young talent in return.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:01 am
if there is no 1st rounder coming to toronto in this deal, i cant see this happening. i could see kubina going with stajan. that would make the deal more even i think which would allow kaberle to get much much more.
what do you guys think of that idea?
February 27th, 2009 at 7:26 am
Kubina and Stajan might not even get you Staal, let alone Staal and Tangradi. Kubina brings a lot to the table, but is expensive for a team like Pittsburgh. And I really don’t understand why they would want Stajan. I still think it makes more sense that you would see a first, Tangradi, and Goligoski for Kaberle.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Now i like this trade..but id like if we could trade Antro and Stajan for Pronger, and Kaberle and Moore For Staal, Tangradi and a 2nd. Moore seems like a more sensible 3rd liner for the Pens run as it is. This way we have a replacement for Kaberle in Pronger, and potential trade bait in Pronger for the future. Unless Prongs absolutely diminishes over the next few years (which he wont), he will always have tremendous value. For the Pens trade to go through though, i think we might have to sign Moore to another year or two?
February 27th, 2009 at 7:44 am
actually forget signing moore before the trade, they can take it or leave it.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:50 am
As for the guy talking about the cap? (DART) Staal makes 250 g’s less than kabby a year. Not to mention Whitney made about a million over Kunitz, there is no cap issue after this trade. As for Pittsburgh it makes TONS of sense, overall at the D-line they recieve a forward for Crosby in Kunitz for a struggling Whitney, a long term replacement for Whitney in Kaberle, and solid 3rd line two way centre in Stajan who WILL produce at the same rate as Staal did down on that line. As for your the other part of your rant who are these mighty dmen you speak of? Kaberle is head and shoulders above most on that team, only offensively outmatched by Gonchar. Itd be a solid move for both teams IMO, but Toronto could probably do better. Tangradi is a sick prospect tho.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:52 am
^^ Sorry, but Kabby would also help tremendously on Pittsburgh’s struggling PP this year.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:52 am
wow.. insane… I would like a pick to come as well though probably a first rounder. Otherwise giving up Stajan and Kaberle is too much.
Although Stall I think will do good stuff if he gets a chance on the first line of a NHL team. Plus Tangradi sounds like a stud prospect to have in your ranks.
You Toronto MORONS are Unbelieveable, The Pens Don’t Need or Want Kaberle or Stajan, Gonch is Better than Kaberle & Stajan is a TURD
February 27th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Could actually see more of a Kaberle and Ponikarovsky to Pitts for Goligoski, Tangradi and a 1st! (player, prospect and a 1st). However my gut feeling says Kaberle is still headed to the Flyers!
February 27th, 2009 at 8:23 am
UMMMMM get it through your demented cement heads the Pens have ABSOLUTELY no need for Kaberle
February 27th, 2009 at 8:56 am
@ Penisevil
Beat it knob.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:09 am
You’re right Evilpens, the Pens don’t need Kaberle, in other news the Pens still sit outside of the top 8 in the east.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Although I think Pittsburgh needs to give up their first rounder for Antropov:
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Kunitz – Crosby – Antropov
Sykora – Malkin – Fedatenko
Dupuis – Staal – Cooke
Kennedy – Talbot – Godard
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Gonchar – Letang
Goligoski – Orpik
Gill – Eaton
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Fleury
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They have some other minor tradebait as well if they want some more punch on their blueline, but I don’t Kaberle is their solution.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Re: Burke getting the Sedins
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Why?! Please DO NOT get these two guys!
1. They will be way overpaid
2. They are not THAT good. They’re good but not great and they are getting old/will be on the downside of their career by the time we want to push for a Cup.
3. It’s friggin’ creepy that they NEED to always play together
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Big PASS on the Sedins and Pronger. Please.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:02 am
I remember Kypreos saying on hockey central in the past that there were problems with Whitney in the lockerroom. Add that to the fact that he was underacheiving, and you got a great reason for him to be moved that isn’t “We had too many defencemen”.
Any Pens fan who thinks that Kaberle is not something that would help their team is just stupid. He has one of the best outlet passes in the game and is one of the best puck moving defencemen. Imagine him on the point with Gonchar on the PP. Imagine him feeding the puck to an open Malkin or Crosby.
Now regarding the trade, I wouldn’t do it as is, and I don’t think Burke would either. He made his price very clear and Staal + good prospect, isn’t enough. He will get a better offer from elsewhere.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:15 am
For everyone who thinks a first would be needed for this trade to be fair is nuts in my opinion. I’d agree that Burke wouldn’t make this deal without a high pick, but come on. Pittsburgh trading away Staal, a top prospect and a #1 pick is not going to happen. Why wouldn’t they have stuck with Whitney, who has slowly improved since his injury if they wanted an offensive-d? That team is soft and replacing Whitney with Kaberle in my opinion doesn’t help. That being said, I hope I eat my words and that this deal actually happens.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:35 am
You are all idiots if you believe this would happen.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Shero would b an idiot to make this deal. The biggest need the Pens have right now is a power forward that can play with Sid. Tangredi could be that guy. We will never win the Cup until we find some one that can play with him. It would be nice to have Kaberle on the blue line, but I am okay with the group we have now. Plus there are going to be some good free agents out there at the end of the season we could go after.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Here’s a thought. Make the trade straight-up. We’d LIKE to take Pittsburgh’s first-round pick, but if they won’t give it to us, make the trade anyway. Much as I like Kabby and Stajan, Staal has the potential to be our number 1 centre for a while. I don’t know much about Tangradi, he seems to be a solid prospect from what I’ve been reading.
Downside – we lose Kaberle – essentially an offensively talented puck-moving defenseman. Funny enough, there’s another one of those who’s going to be a UFA this offseason who is, interestingly, more to Burke’s model than Kabby anyway (Bouwmeester). Florida isn’t going to re-sign him, and Toronto has the cap space to give him a solid offer. He’s also 5 years younger than Kabby.
February 27th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
CarltontheBear February 27, 2009 9:09 am
Lee February 27, 2009 8:56 am
AWWW what’s wrong didn’t Mommy breastfeed you this morning???
If you KNEW ANYTHING about hockey you would realize the reason they traded Whitney is they Have a SURPLUS off Offensive D Men & needed scoring
****** Maple Laffs INBREDS
February 27th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Did someone say the Pens, the team with the top two NHL leading scorers, needed scoring? If that were the case they would have traded Malkin for Kovalchuk + and used that + to help add other prospects that can score. Then Staal moves up to second line center and is no longer being wasted. HOWEVER, anyone who has actually watched the Pens play would know they turn the puck over in the neutral zone FAR too often. How many times do you see Sid or Malkin circle all the way back behind their own net and pick up the puck to lug it up the ice on their own due to their frustration with their D. It is one thing to have enough offensive d-men, but it’s another to have a d-man that can actually carry/pass the puck. Enter Kaberle.
I think most Pens fans are only annoyed at the suggestion that they need Kaberle because it is being suggested Staal would go the other way. Consider the issues separately.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Ouch, my hockey knowledge is being questioned by a Pens fan. Well I hope your satisfied with the likes of Letang and Goligoski carrying your team nowhere this season.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
I’d be whiny too if I was a Pens fan and my team was so, so $hitty.
That said, please, I hope Burke is not thinking of bringing Pronger here – what’s the point?
As for the proposed Kaberle and Stajan trade, I’m not sold on Staal – if the desperate Pens throw in a 1st rounder, I’d consider it if I was Burke.
February 28th, 2009 at 1:46 am
this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, there’s no way that the Penguins would trade Staal and a top prospect for Stajan and Kaberle
February 28th, 2009 at 2:34 am
To Pittsburgh
D Tomas Kaberle
D Pavel Kubina
C Nik Antropov
Toronto’s 1st round pick 2009+2010
*Somehow give some of our cap space so you can exceed the cap using our space.
To Toronto
The rights to hold contract talks with Therien
There, that seems about fair value.
February 28th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
what a retarded trade that would be. The pens don’t need another defenseman, the ones that should give up a 1st rnd pick should be Toronto, or throw in Antropov so the trade would look like this
Toronto Gets Staal and Tangradi and the Pens 2nd rnd pick
Pens get Kaberle with the list of teams he’d go to, Antropov, Stajen and Torontos 1st rnd pick
thats about the only way this trade should be made. The pens would need the list of teams that Kaberle would go to so they could trade him somewhere else, they just cleared a log jam on the blueline. To me this is just wishful thinking for the leafs anyways.
February 28th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Yea, the Leafs are going to trade Kaberle, Antropov, Stajan and what is most likely a lottery pick for 2 unproven players and a 2nd. Could you overvalue your assets a little more?
February 28th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I was thinking the same when I was reading that the pens needed to throw in their first rnd pick along with Staal and Tangredi for a done nothing defenseman, a never heard of him outside of Toronto …. if it was to happen and it was just those 4, then Toronto needs to be the one throwing in the pick
February 28th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Ken, what is wrong with you. A done nothing defencemen? How about be in the top 5 for points by a defencemen each year? I think that counts for something, and Matt Stajan is a solid 2-3 line winger. He can be counted on for 50-60 pts a year. ALso, if the trade was to go down, the penguins should throw in a 2nd rd pick, which upgrades to a first if they make the playoffs this year
February 28th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
You’re right, one of the top point producing defensemen since the lockout is a “done nothing defenseman” He is third all time for points by a Leafs defenseman rapidly closing in on 2nd, yet I guess he hasn’t proven anything right? However on the other side we have a player who has yet to crack the NHL, a player who has yet to crack 50 points, but I guess they’ve proven to be so valuable to the Pens that we must give up Kaberle, Antropov, Stajan and a lottery pick for them. Give your head a shake, Proven commodities go for more than unproven commodities, and right now both Staal and Tangredi are unproven. Not to mention our draft pick has a high chance of netting us a player who is better than both Staal and Tangredi.
February 28th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
What do you morons do, sit around and pull names out of a hat. If Shero made this trade he would be fired on the spot. Leaf fans, get it through your heads, just because someone plays for the leafs doesn’t make him a superstar. There is a reason that the Leafs have sucked so bad for the past 4-5 years…your players aren’t that great. Stop thinking that every GM is climbing over each other to get ahold of your players, its just not the case.
February 28th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
No way this happens. They wouldnt trade for another centre. I can see them moving Staal, but no way should they trade Staal and Tangrady. No way.
February 28th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Wow, you could trade Kaberle and Stajan. Kaberle is a great Dman no fighting that. But Stajan is not a # 1 or a #2 forward. You get ride of him and send him to a team like the Penguins and he is dropped to the 3rd or 4th line where he can score his 10 goals a year again. It is true he is getting a lot of playing time with the Leafs and he really does not deserve it. There are a lot more players that could fill that rol and do the same or better. he is in his 6th year ? And finally given all this playing time with power play time he is producing. But the Leafs could do better without him.
February 28th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
[...] that we’ll hear a more-or-less complete work if Burke can find a buyer for Tomas Kaberle, maybe something centred around a deal for Jordan Staal; if that happens, you’ll have to give Burke credit, he’s managed to assemble the [...]
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:39 pm
this trade is not ever gonna happen..it was more like blake, kaberle and stajan for stall crosby and malkin…………..get ur facts straight liar
March 3rd, 2009 at 4:40 pm
way to much for the penguins to give up… I dont know what the deal is with leaf fans and thomas kaberles value but if you want a first round draft pick we get antropov and kaberle at least. Ray Shero wont make this trade without Antropov
To pens: Kaberle, antropov
to leafs: staal, tangradi, 1st rounder
March 4th, 2009 at 3:41 am
I wouldn’t trade a bag of pucks for kaberle.
March 7th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Hey How did that Trade work out PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT
Losers HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!
December 27th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
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