The Flyers of five years ago would have done that, but not anymore.
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Toronto, for its part, acquired defenseman Jared Cowen, forwards Colin Greening, Milan Michalek and Tobias Lindberg, and Ottawa’s second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.
“We’re so used to seeing him with the “C” on for the Toronto Maple Leafs”, Ceci said, “but now he’s a teammate so all that’s behind us”.
And it would take more than a minor move to plug the leaks. They wanted the Maple Leafs to act as if the acquiring team was doing them a favor. “I mean I think we’ll be okay, but it always hurts when you lose a guy like Dion”.
The Maple Leafs have received three National Hockey League players and a Swedish prospect right winger. “We expect him to be the player he is”.
Phaneuf had the Senators on a list of 12 teams he would accept a trade to, something he said was based on the quality of the Ottawa organization and its passionate fans. Ottawa becomes way more competitive in the next 2-3 seasons, without really mortgaging the future either. Sending him packing now, is building from the dollar signs out, opening roster spots and making salary manoeuvrings possible.
Phaneuf told Murray that he was “excited” to be coming to Ottawa, but he will be coming in with the season more than half over. Six years later, they sell and while it’s not exactly a garage sale price, it’s a slight victory, not a home run, by salary subtraction. Are they overvaluing Phaneuf?
“”This is exactly the kind of trade Ron Hextall would not make.””. In the right role can still be very productive and a useful asset to a team.
“I just tried to walk and get a good shot”, Hamilton said. Stamkos is not Clarkson, of course (of course of course), and there’s a much longer track record of success with Stamkos. It’d be lucky. A Cinderella story. “He’s going to play lots”.
Sure, maybe their core is further along than that of the Flyers. Lindberg is still on a three year entry-level contract. Greening, 29, scored 38 goals and registered 87 points over 256 National Hockey League games (all with Ottawa) including one this season.
“We established team rules at the start of the season”. They’re not just waiting for the percentages to balance out here, after which they’ll rocket up the standings like the Ducks have.
The Leafs do get one bona fide NHLer in the deal in Michalek, a dependable checking forward who earns $4-million a season, but is now sidelined with a broken finger.
Then there’s the issue of Phaneuf himself. Did you get all that? “I worked as hard as I possibly could for that organization and I had great pride in playing there and being a Toronto Maple Leaf”.
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The 30-year-old should add experience, penalty killing acumen and some offensive capability to a Senators squad that’s spearheaded by team captain Erik Karlsson, who leads the team with 59 points. While Dion has longer term the salaries will wash for a few seasons depending on what the Leafs do. Everyone, to a man, has something to prove what they’re worth and what they can bring. They’re not going to do exactly what Ottawa did today. Where they go, you never know. It’s refreshing, and worth the reminder.
