Dion Phaneuf is one of, if not the most, unfairly maligned player in Leafs history. Chances are still in favor of a Polak or Parenteau move coming next, but as the past few days have shown us that the Toronto Maple Leafs have a management team that is not afraid to burn it all down. “We expect him to come in here and just be the hockey player he is”. Maybe it works out, maybe it doesn’t – doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme. Not his fault. He was all class and determination and today marks the end of an era – a crappy era, but an era none the less. The trade is highly interesting in the cap age in that it’s pretty much a wash with Milan Michalek who has been injured or disappointing since being resigned and the much maligned Jared Cowan for Phaneuf.
Advertisement
For me, as a fan, I am sad to see Dion go. This is a long, painful rebuild for the Leafs, but honestly Tuesday’s trade was another example of this franchise, finally – finally – acting like a responsible organization that won’t take short cuts anymore.
“It was tough because you can’t get three better young men”. You’ve been subjected to Stamkos-based frothing at the mouth and you have probably gotten over the excitement that a trade injects to the season. “I think it’s a good decision for Dion”. “He’s going to play lots”. Phaneuf is symbolic of a failed era as the captain and lynchpin of that roster. The Leafs bought rather low on Phaneuf back in 2010 sending a lot of junk to Calgary to get him.
The NHL has a limit of 50 contracts per team.
The main benefits from this trade are that Ottawa get to improve their defensive situation, whilst Toronto get to continue to revamp their team. However, since you can only have 50 contracts, it is important to make space for new players by moving out the guys you don’t see as having a high enough ceiling to keep around. The Ottawa Senators have acquired Phaneuf from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a nine-player trade. That is kind of insane. Beyond them, there are other prospects playing else, and that includes Frolunda forward Andreas Johnson. For a budget team like the Senators, it could be a disaster. This in addition to Nazem Kadri, Jake Gardiner, Morgan Rielly, Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapenan and William Nylander. The original news of a possible trade between the Leafs and Senators was broken by TSN’s Bob McKenzie.
Michalek might find his game a-la P.A Paranteau and be flippable at next year’s deadline.
Who knows how the NHL Leafs fare the rest of the season?
There’s also the question of the other throw-ins from the Leafs deal.
He was never the elite talent Phil Kessel was while he was here, but the same sentiment applies – Phaneuf was a good player who deserved a better supporting cast than what management armed him with. The very, very best. At 20, he’s perhaps one of the Leafs’ top six prospects.
Before Toronto could get on the ice for the first time this season without their captain, they learned they wouldn’t be facing Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Lance Bouma.
The most insane thing of all?
Advertisement
Cowen’s buyout would represent just the fourth salary-cap credit since the cap was instituted in 2005-and by far the most valuable … a team would spend $750,000 in real dollars for each of the next two seasons, in exchange for a $650,000 credit in 2016-17 and a $750,000 hit in 2017-18. He was a consummate professional in the good times and, much more frequently, the trying times.
