Who’s ready for some hockey talk, I know I am? Today was the NHL trade deadline where all the teams lay down their cards, the cards they’ve coveted so close to their chests all season. The Toronto Maple Leafs did make a splash today but it wasn’t like the block buster trade that took place just three weeks ago. Today was more tweaking the team and dumping some salary. Toronto sent Alexei Ponikarosky to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In return they received prospect Luca Caputi and 30 year old defenseman Martin Skoula. In this deal Pittsburgh picked up a reliable goal scoring forward that has size and ability. Toronto received a sawed after prospect that will be a building block for the future and a defenseman that they have flipped into a 5th round draft pick in 2010 summer from the New Jersey Devils. Many Leaf fans will be sad to see “Poni” go since he has been with the franchise for so long. Yet if Burke is to truly rebuild this team to model his image then Poni was a piece that he had to receive return on. Poni is a free agent at the end of this season so if Burke is not interested in resigning him them now is the time to move him. As a Leaf fan I wish Alexei good luck in Pittsburgh and hope that he can contribute to the Penguins making a run to the Stanley Cup.