Brian Burke knows how to make a splash.

The Toronto Maple Leafs GM announced today that the team acquired two former NHL All-Stars in Dion Phaneuf from the Calgary Flames and J.S. Giguere from the Anaheim Ducks. In return, Burke shipped Ian White, Matt Stajan, Nick Hagman and Jamal Mayers to Calgary while forwardJason Blake and backup netminder Vesa Toskala are headed to Anaheim.

While the deal comes as a shocker and is nothing short of a blockbuster, what should really come as no surprise is that any of these players moved before the trade deadline.

Giguere has been in a season-long battle with backup goalie Jonas Hiller for the number one starting position. Anaheim virtually awarded the starting spot to Hiller when they announced earlier this week that they had signed the young goaltender to a four-year extension, making Giguere expandable. With Anaheim currently outside of playoff contention, it seems like a no-brainer that they would trade Giguere before the deadline.

Rumors that Phaneuf (pictured) may be shipped elsewhere had also arisen throughout the season, although most of those rumors had the name Ilya Kovalchuk attached in return. At the expense of Phaneuf, Calgary acquires scoring depth in Hagman and Stajan.

The Maple Leafs have failed to make an impact in the standings all season, suffering behind sub par goaltending and dismal defense. Phaneuf and Giguere address

two of those needs. Phanuef will also bring a physical dimension to Toronto’s lineup. Burke loves to stock his roster with big, physical players and Phanuef fits that bill perfectly. And while Phaneuf has struggled in recent seasons, he has displayed a strong offensive prowess in the past with Calgary. In 2007-08, Phaneuf accumulated 17 goals and 43 assists along with 182 penalty minutes.

After the trades went through, Brian Burke suggested that more deals may come out of Toronto in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline.

“We’re still open for business,” Burke remarked. “We’re not done.”

Alexei Panikarovski will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and may be dealt and puck-moving defenseman Tomas Kaberle has also been the subject of trade rumors around the league. Either one of these players could be next to go before the March 3 trade deadline.

Reports coming out of Montreal claim that defenseman Andrei Markov confronted goaltender Carey Price after the team’s 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues last Wednesday.

In the locker room immediately following the game, Markov reportedly told Price, “if you are not going to play with heart, stay home. We don’t need you here.” Reports also claim that teammates in the locker room came to the defense of both players after the confrontation.

This couldn’t come at a worse time for the Canadiens. The team has lost two in a row and sit outside the playoff picture at 9th place in the Eastern Conference. However, Markov’s comments resonate on deeper levels for the Canadiens.

It was reported earlier in the season that backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak approached management and asked for a trade. To many, Halak has outplayed Price for the better part of two seasons now while Price continues to struggle, leading many fans to believe that Halak should be the starter. Judging by Markov’s comments, he agrees with that assessment.

Both goalies are set to become restricted free agents this summer, which continues to prompt rumors that one of the two goalies could get shipped elsewhere by March 3. With all of these factors considered, and now with Markov confronting Price directly, management may begin to reconsider trading Halak and think about moving Price instead.

Defenseman Niklas Kronwall will return to the lineup tonight for the Detroit Red Wings after going down on Nov. 21 with a sprained knee.

“It’s nice to have him back,” coach Mike Babcock said. “We need a boost right now. I don’t think we played very good the other night. I thought L.A. was better, harder-working and more competitive than we were and I hadn’t seen that in a while.”

Kronwall will skate alongside his usual defense partner Brad Stuart, who has been one of the Wings’ most impressive and consistent players all year. Both players together add a very physical and gritty dimension to the Wings’ lineup.

The addition of Kronwall means the Wings are one step closer to becoming fully healthy. Injuries have plagued the team all season and players like Justin Abdelkader, who was slated to spend the season in Grand Rapids, have been called upon to fill the void. Tomas Homlstrom and Jason Williams are also preparing to return to the lineup soon and Johan Franzen expects to be back before the Olympic break.

The Wings may have some tough decisions to make in the near future as more skaters prepare to return from the IR. Salary cap issues as well as roster issues may force the Wings to move some bodies. When Williams and Holmstrom return, the Wings will be one man over the regulated 23-man roster. It’s expected that Justin Abdelkader will be sent down to Grand Rapids to create roster space. However, the Wings will face the same situation when Franzen returns, not to mention that Franzen’s salary will be back on the books which will put the Wings roughly $1.5 million over the cap. It’s expected that the Wings may move a body or two in order to accommodate Franzen. Derek Meech could become expandable at that time and the Wings may even choose to trade Drew Miller or Patrick Eaves. Brett Lebda has also been mentioned in trade talk in recent years, or the Wings could choose to move a player like Kirk Maltby, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

In other injury news, Andreas Lilja has been headache-free for nearly two weeks now. Lilja has been sidelined for nearly a year after sustaining a concussion in a fight with Nashville Predator defenseman Shea Weber. As a result, Lilja has experienced constant headaches since the bout and has been on the long-term IR for the Wings. Being symptom-free for nearly two weeks is certainly a step in the right direction and Lilja hopes to start negotiating a comeback date in the near future.