Prior to boarding a flight from Frankfurt to London, I was given a complimentary copy of USA Today's International Edition. I shot straight to the hockey section to see how USA Today covers hockey.
There was one article about the dominating Chicago Blackhawks and their replenished depth. It specifically applauded the trade for Viktor Stålberg. Stålberg, as you'll recall, was traded by the Leafs to Chicago in the deal that brought us Kris Versteeg.
There was another article about the Staal brothers and their success together. Both Eric and Jordan Staal are on pace for personal highs in terms of points-per-game, and part of the reason Eric Staal is having his best season is the presence of Jiří Tlustý on his line. Tlustý, of course, was traded by the Leafs to Carolina in exchange for Philippe Paradis.
Another article mentioned the St. Louis Blues, already left in the Central Division dust by Chicago. The article referenced the Blues' leading scorer, Alex Steen. Steen was traded by the Leafs to St. Louis with Carlo Colaiacovo for Lee Stempniak.
Stålberg, Steen and Tlustý are all blossoming young NHL stars and all were recently Toronto Maple Leafs. These assets were practically given away and my Leafs have little to show for it.
I now suspect Mike Brown will lead the Oilers in scoring.
