Phaneuf Traded To Ottawa

Don't know if there were any other takers for Phaneuf, but he should be happy too because it's hardly a move from Toronto to Ottawa. He had a NMC (limited NTC clause), and Leafs were still able to swing it where they look like the winners.

Phaneuf still has 5 more years on his contract, but the players they get in return are done in 2 more after this, shaving $21M in payout, which can be used to re-sign younger players or UFAs that fit their team.

I still don't know if they will go after Stamkos. They could, but it'd be in the $11M/yr range. I'm sure Yzerman is on the phone with Stamkos' agent right now trying to hammer out a deal.

Leafs don't have any active player contract (not including Horton) that goes beyond 3 years, which makes sense since they are re-building for the future. The new core will get contracts that extend past the 3 year mark. Rielly is the first piece, Kapanen, Nylander, Marner and this year's 1st round pick are the next ones.

Depending on Kadri's contract demands, he could be moved as early as the draft too. I think he has 2 more years before he is eligible for UFA status.
 
All four players from Sens had issues. Michalek seemed like he was never healthy or could find his scoring touch again. Cowen was not living up to potential and scratched whenever all D-men were healthy. They've been trying to dump Greening for two seasons now. Ooops, that was Wikstrand that left camp and went back to Sweden. Lindberg is not bad. Four issues resolved and a serviceable d-man. Captain pressure will be off Phaneuf... he may not have to play as many minutes. He might have a bit of a revival.
 
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Dropped stocks for dropped stocks. Toronto will have roughly 10 million in extra cap space this offseason to play with - maybe that's the magic number to sign a certain (allegedly) disgruntled Tampa Center?
 
I think the timing perhaps points to the possibility that Byfuglien was seen as an option for the Sens...?

I've looked at this trade any which way and I can't help but see the Sens as the clear winner. Dion's not the player he used to be but he's by far the best player in this deal. The Maple Leafs are a worse team now than they were yesterday, which is shocking to believe.
 
NNeves said:
I think the timing perhaps points to the possibility that Byfuglien was seen as an option for the Sens...?

I've looked at this trade any which way and I can't help but see the Sens as the clear winner. Dion's not the player he used to be but he's by far the best player in this deal. The Maple Leafs are a worse team now than they were yesterday, which is shocking to believe.
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They're tanking. "scroched earth" re-build proposed to and approved by owners a couple years back. They are re-building, and accumulating top end prospects, and unloading big long term contracts. The trade fits the direction of the Leafs.

Sens do get a legit top 4 dman, that can play some decent minutes. Money that they might have been willing to spend on Byfuglien, but could have heard through the grapevine that he was close to signing.
 
tiger tiger said:
They're tanking. "scroched earth" re-build proposed to and approved by owners a couple years back. They are re-building, and accumulating top end prospects, and unloading big long term contracts. The trade fits the direction of the Leafs.
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Does it fit the direction? They didn't pick up any prospects in the deal and they were tanking just fine with Dion in the lineup. It's not at all like the Kessel deal in the summer. The prospects they have in the AHL, while very promising, still aren't playing in the NHL. I think this deal may have had more to do with a culture shift in the Leafs dressing room, which is exactly why he was traded from Calgary. It may also have to do with freeing up cap space to perhaps sign a big fish free agent this summer, which does not signal rebuild but rather a retooling.
 
Unloading big long term salary is one part of the direction.

They're going to get a pretty good prospect this year in the draft. They have Kapanen, Nylander, Marner, and Rielly is already in the NHL. They aren't rushing them so that they enter the NHL when they're 21 instead of 19, thus getting more prime years out of them. If Leafs draft well with their 2nd round pick this year, they can fill up another position.

There's still JVR, Bozak and Lupul that can fetch other top 6 potential prospects in the future. Plus the cap space frees up money to sign UFA's in the future, when they are ready to make a push. Gardiner could be swapped for a younger d in the future. The Leafs have assets to move. They just have to wait for the right deal and keep building for the future.

Phaneuf's big contract wasn't going to fetch any big name prospects, unless they retained some salary. I suspect Ottawa wasn't going do both, give up prime prospects and retain all the salary.

Could be the culture in the locker room, but a bit of a moot point since the current locker room will be completely revamped within 2-3 years.

As I mentioned earlier before and at length in the Stamkos trade thread, I'm not so sure that the Leafs will land Stamkos, or if they want to land him. So until they actually give Stamkos an offer, then I would have to assume they are still on the same page. There's a lot of time from now and July 1, and no guarantee that Stamkos actually will sign with the Leafs. So to base your direction on something that is totally up in the air and out of your control wouldn't be the best approach, IMO.

They'll CONSIDER crossing that bridge IF it become available.
 
Looked up Tobias Lindberg. He's a decent prospect. Has potential to make top 6 or top 9 forward. Plus Leafs get a 2nd round pick. Could be an asset to package with their 2nd to move up to get another 1st round pick.
 
tiger tiger said:
Looked up Tobias Lindberg. He's a decent prospect.
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Look up any prospect the Leafs have traded for in the past 20 years. Seems as soon as someone enters that franchise they become a decent prospect ... in the media anyways. I think I read on Sportsnet* that they've already labelled him a decent prospect and then list him 8th or 9th on the forward depth chart for the Marlies. *sigh*

Now search for how many of those players have actually developed into decent NHL-ers from within the Maple Leafs system.... lol

:comp:

*EDIT: It was SB Nation, sorry Sportsnet.
 
Lol...I get what your saying. But I think the current regime shouldn't be held accountable for past sins.

Lindberg has adjusted to the NHL game pretty quick. He has 22 pts in 34 games in the AHL. He can play a 2 way game.

From Hockeysfuture.com

Talent Analysis

Tobias Lindberg is a big, strong winger with excellent passing skills, and a heavy, accurate shot. He also has the capacity to play in every game situation. As a member of the Oshawa Generals last season, he adapted wonderfully to the team’s smothering 200-foot game and helped to shut down big-time scorers like Connor McDavid and Dylan Strome in the OHL finals. Has the potential to become a second-line winger at best, or a third-line checker that can chip in offensively.

He's probably 3rd or 4th Leafs RW prospect depth chart. Kapanen ahead of him for sure. Connor Brown and Bracco around the same potential. He is 6-2 so does have some potential size over the other two. Those other two will be top 6 or bust. Lindberg could be a useful 3rd liner, which is valuable too.
 
although i thought Phaneuf was much more effective this year, so far, i like this move alot. He needed a fresh start else where. He took a lot of grief as the Leafs captain.
I want to think that this is to secure Stamkos on July 1, at least i can hope.
There will be a lot more activity leading up to trade deadline i'm sure.
 
kevhur said:
although i thought Phaneuf was much more effective this year, so far, i like this move alot. He needed a fresh start else where. He took a lot of grief as the Leafs captain.
I want to think that this is to secure Stamkos on July 1, at least i can hope.
There will be a lot more activity leading up to trade deadline i'm sure.
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The Leafs took back salary too in the trade. Michalek is $4M, Greening $2.65M ($1.6M to bury him in the AHL), and Cowen at $3.1M. But these deals expire after one more season, except for Cowen who is an RFA this year. They can choose to not qualify him and let him become a UFA if they just want to dump salary. It provides cap relief to sign FUTURE UFAs, but not this coming year.

So the move does not create more cap room to sign Stamkos. However, it does leave room to go after Jonathan Tavares, if he doesn't re-sign with the lsles in two years...
 
What does the cap space look like for Toronto before and after the trade? Everybody keeps talking about freeing up cap space, but I believe they actually took on more annual contract money than they gave up, for the next two years anyway? I also don't believe that Toronto was in danger of hitting the cap ceiling? Let's face it, "cap space" doesn't mean squat in a rebuild, when most of your young players will be signed to low cost entry level deals, and it certainly doesn't mean anything if you don't do anything with it. I thought I heard that Stamkos doesn't want to play for the Leafs anyway, so who else would be available that could help the Leafs?
 
TanguayFan said:
What does the cap space look like for Toronto before and after the trade? Everybody keeps talking about freeing up cap space, but I believe they actually took on more annual contract money than they gave up, for the next two years anyway? I also don't believe that Toronto was in danger of hitting the cap ceiling? Let's face it, "cap space" doesn't mean squat in a rebuild, when most of your young players will be signed to low cost entry level deals, and it certainly doesn't mean anything if you don't do anything with it. I thought I heard that Stamkos doesn't want to play for the Leafs anyway, so who else would be available that could help the Leafs?
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that is correct.
 
Excellent move on the part of the leaf's and reminds me of when the jays unloaded vernon wells's huge contract. totally under the radar as well in the mould of A.A. Hello STAMMER!! :)
 
TanguayFan said:
What does the cap space look like for Toronto before and after the trade? Everybody keeps talking about freeing up cap space, but I believe they actually took on more annual contract money than they gave up, for the next two years anyway? I also don't believe that Toronto was in danger of hitting the cap ceiling? Let's face it, "cap space" doesn't mean squat in a rebuild, when most of your young players will be signed to low cost entry level deals, and it certainly doesn't mean anything if you don't do anything with it. I thought I heard that Stamkos doesn't want to play for the Leafs anyway, so who else would be available that could help the Leafs?
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According to nhlnumbers.com, the Leafs take on $11.7MM of salary for 16/17 ($9.75MM cap hit) vs. Phaneuf at roughly $7MM for four years.

Although I'll be wearing Blue & White at the game tonight, I'm sorta sad I'll miss the perennial booing of Dion at the Saddledome tonight. At least until the Senators game on the 27th lol.
 
Orvy said:
All four players from Sens had issues. Michalek seemed like he was never healthy or could find his scoring touch again. Cowen was not living up to potential and scratched whenever all D-men were healthy. They've been trying to dump Greening for two seasons now. Lindberg had a sucky in training camp and left to go back to Sweden. Four issues resolved and a serviceable d-man. Captain pressure will be off Phaneuf... he may not have to play as many minutes. He might have a bit of a revival.
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Totally agree with all of this statement.

We have to remember that Phaneuf had a few good years with Calgary as an offensive D-man. In Toronto, he needed to be more of a defensive D-man because they were bad. He isn't so good with that. Ottawa will be a good fit for him where they can play him on the 2nd pairing and be a second threat like Karlsson, giving them a little double dose of threat on the D-lines depth.
Frattin may make a statement with the young group of Sens...or could fall flat on his face.

Sens are on the bubble. I think they made a move that could put them in the 7/8th playoff spot without giving up too much. BUT they are definitely betting on the revival of Phaneuf.
 
tiger tiger said:
The Leafs took back salary too in the trade. Michalek is $4M, Greening $2.65M ($1.6M to bury him in the AHL), and Cowen at $3.1M. But these deals expire after one more season, except for Cowen who is an RFA this year. They can choose to not qualify him and let him become a UFA if they just want to dump salary. It provides cap relief to sign FUTURE UFAs, but not this coming year.

So the move does not create more cap room to sign Stamkos. However, it does leave room to go after Jonathan Tavares, if he doesn't re-sign with the lsles in two years...
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I'd go for Okposo this year, who is at the end of his contract. Surprisingly, nobody counts this guy as a decent player. The Isles are always better when he is in the line-up. IF you go after him in trade, resign him in the summer, he'll make who ever is on the team a bit better. It'll also look good if they pick up Stamkos, but Tavares next year would be a good addition if they can't with Okposo on the team already.

BTW, when does Horton's contract expire? Can they technically buy it out if they need the cap space to sign a big name like Stamkos?
 

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