Lee Stempniak Trade Precursor to Even Bigger Trade?

We knew it was coming.  In fact we've known since around August. We just likely forgot about it, or didn't see it coming on an otherwise ordinary Monday.

Less than 48 hours after a collapse against Chicago on Wendel Clark night, the Toronto Maple Leafs shook things up a little by trading two former first round draft picks in Carlo Colaiacovo and Alex Steen to St. Louis in exchange for Lee Stempniak.  

See, back in the summer most of us looked at this team and its roster make-up, and decided that at some point a defenseman would be traded to acquire a skilled forward.  And it appears to have happened today.

The move of Steen may have caught some of us off guard the most.

While Steen's production and responsibility dipped considerably since he burst onto the NHL scene a few years ago, some feel the trade was made too quickly.  They gave up on him too soon.  After all, this was a guy who was once so heralded, the Leafs wouldn't include him in a deal to get Chris Pronger, and the deal fell apart for that reason.

But as the dust settles and the shock of the trade wears off, questions will surround the Leafs' decision to move Steen.

Did the Maple Leafs expect too much out of Steen?  He was touted as a two-way forward with offensive flair.  Certainly he showed it in his first year in Toronto, but his numbers have been in steep decline since his debut.

Or is Steen a late bloomer who, with a change of scenery, may rediscover his scoring touch and join fellow Blues teammate Brad Boyes on a list of players that Leafs fans shake their heads at and say, "I can't believe we gave up on that guy!"

As I have said through today, I think both teams took a bit of a gamble, but I think the Leafs will end up winning this trade in the short and long term.

Still, that isn't to say there isn't hope for the Blues.  In fact, they added some serviceable guys who, if they can bounce back, can be solid additions for the young St. Louis squad.

We in the media always like to dissect trades immediately as they happen, but in this case, as in many others, it is going to take some time in order to determine who wins the trade because there are a lot of questions.

Can Carlo stay healthy?  Can Steen rebound?  Can Stempniak get back to 20 plus goals?

There are a lot of questions and I truly wish Carlo and Alex well.  They were two very nice young guys and I wish both of them well in St. Louis.

I think Mike Ulmer said it best this afternoon when he said, "Carlo and Steen aren't going to get any better, and if they do, it wasn't going to be here in Toronto."

Turning the page to Stempniak, I think the Leafs got a real solid player here...possibly a steal of a deal.

Stempniak is a hard working, speedy forward, who I think fits in well on any of the Leafs' top three lines.

It may also be a precursor to what Bob McKenzie is calling "a much bigger deal."  McKenzie said that Fletcher remained on the phones long after the Stempniak deal went down and that the Maple Leafs were looking to make an even bigger deal.

An Early Glance at Tomorrow's Battle against the Thrashers

Yes, I know it's early, but there is a little information to pass your way regarding tomorrow night's game at the Air Canada Centre (a game yours truly will be attending.)

It's looking likely that Lee Stempniak will be in the lineup for the Maple Leafs tomorrow.  Stempy will take a physical in Toronto tomorrow morning and if all goes as expected, he should be ready for his home debut.  It could be a family affair as Stempniak said that his family, who hails from Buffalo, is excited that they will be less than 90 minutes from their son.

I would expect Vesa Toskala to get the start again for Toronto.  Toskala, shaky for much of the season, looked a lot fresher on Saturday night against the Blackhawks.  After a week of practice, he looked sharp and confident in the net.  The fact that the Leafs surrendered two separate leads was certainly not the product of Toskala.