Explain this 2008 trade: Steen and Colaiacovo for Stempniak

[Halakitlikethat]

It’s the offseason now so I feel like I can ask this.

If this should be in the history section, mods I am sorry.

November 24th 2008

Toronto trades Alexander Steen AND Carlo Colaiacovo to St Louis for Lee Stempniak.

Please make sense of this trade at the time from a leafs perspective. This is not a leafs bashing thread.

Thanks

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[Brodeur]

Just looking at Toronto's roster and it was heavy LH shots.

W: Blake (LH) - Ponikarovsky (LH) - Hagman (LH) - Kulemin (LH) - Steen (LH) - Mayers (RH)
C: Grabovski (LH) - Stajan (LH) - Antropov (LH) - Moore (LH)

It was Nik Kulemin's rookie year and I seem to recall he was a well-regarded prospect. Not sure if Steen lost time as a result. Colaiacovo seemed to be a tweener and found a role in St. Louis.

Maybe reminds me of Anaheim indirectly swapping Kyle Palmieri for Carl Hagelin at the 2015 Draft. Palmieri was behind Perry/Ryan, so the thought was that they were swapping a 3RW for a 2LW. Didn't quite work out.

So perhaps the Leafs thought the same that they were adding a 2RW in Stempniak.

1999 Devils were also mostly LH shots, early in that season Lou swapped Brian Rolston for Claude Lemieux. And last year's Devils were similar, part of the reason they swapped out Yegor Sharangovich for Tyler Toffoli so they could have a RH shot up front on the PP.

Edit: Quick peek at the spring 2008 THN Future Watch and Kulemin was the #24 ranked prospect league wide. Looking at some of Steen's final games as a Leaf and he was dipping below 15 minutes in a few of them.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vancouver Canucks Box Score: November 15, 2008 | Hockey-Reference.com

Get the latest box score updates on the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vancouver Canucks game played on November 15, 2008 on Hockey-Reference.com

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Wingers: Kulemin (16:31), Ponikarovsky (16:27), Hagman (16:14), Blake (14:09), Mayers (13:32), Steen (11:53), Hollweg (7:16)

Atlanta Thrashers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Box Score: November 25, 2008 | Hockey-Reference.com

Get the latest box score updates on the Atlanta Thrashers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs game played on November 25, 2008 on Hockey-Reference.com

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In Stempniak's first game as a Leaf, he posted 17:16.

 

[Rafafouille]

Looking at db it makes sense. Steen is 7 years post draft, settled around 40 points a year, in a ridiculous slump(4pts in 20games), Colaiacovo is 8 years post draft, barely hanging in the NHL, lots of AHL stints, basically given up in him at this point. Then St Louis offers you Stempniak who's had 52pts, 38pts and now 13pts in 14 games to start the season and you have nobody at RW2? Seems like a no brainer for the Leafs. Then Steen becomes a stud, Colaiacovo figures it out for a few years and the leafs look like a bunch of fools.

 

[Turin]

Steen was a late bloomer who Toronto gave up on too early, Colaiacovo looked like he was too injury prone to stay in the league.

 

[Thallis]

Steen was a late bloomer who Toronto gave up on too early, Colaiacovo looked like he was too injury prone to stay in the league.

Which he kinda was to be fair. The Blues board's annual injury thread is usually named the Colaiacovo Report

 

[Turin]

Which he kinda was to be fair. The Blues board's annual injury thread is usually named the Colaiacovo Report

Yea, they were mostly right. He wound up developing into a decent defenseman but still only lasted a handful of seasons - insert infamous GIF here.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

I do remember Stempniak had some hype behind him. HF praised this trade as a Leafs win IIRC.

 

[Coffey]

Looking at db it makes sense. Steen is 7 years post draft, settled around 40 points a year, in a ridiculous slump(4pts in 20games), Colaiacovo is 8 years post draft, barely hanging in the NHL, lots of AHL stints, basically given up in him at this point. Then St Louis offers you Stempniak who's had 52pts, 38pts and now 13pts in 14 games to start the season and you have nobody at RW2? Seems like a no brainer for the Leafs. Then Steen becomes a stud, Colaiacovo figures it out for a few years and the leafs look like a bunch of fools.

There it is.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

Stempniak was a good prospect at the time. Before he became the NHL's town bicycle LOL

 

[JoeSakic13]

Based on the Jeff Finger signing earlier that year, they probably thought they were trading for David Perron.

 

[SUX2BU]

Yea, they were mostly right. He wound up developing into a decent defenseman but still only lasted a handful of seasons - insert infamous GIF here.

Done …….