Phaneuf Traded To Ottawa

It really depends what happens at the draft and where the Leafs pick. If they land Matthews, then it totally changes how they will proceed.

Then the future #1C will be Matthews and Marner as #2. Kapanen on #2RW. Nylander is a C also, but not sure if they can convert him to wing.

If the Leafs end up with top 3 and land either Puljujarvi (rw) or Laine (rw/lw), that works too. Tkachuk (lw) is a decent pick too. Or they can team up the Nylander brothers.

Or they can pick Chychrun for another LHS D (M. Reilly is L shot), but I don't think they will if they think M. Reilly is going to be the top pair. Although Chychrun is a beast, and D are hard to come by.

Now in 3 years if Tavares is a UFA and can be signed at age 28 for a long term deal, then that makes more sense than signing a 26-27 year old Stamkos now. Eberle could be a UFA then too. Or re-sign a 30 yr old JVR for vet leadership who knows the system well.

Leafs will still need to address G and D, though, since we have seen that you can't just be just sexy up front like the Oilers.
 
numbern9ne said:
Sens
Phaneuf - Signed thru 2021
Frattin - Expiring Contract UFA
Bailey - RFA this summer
Rupert - 21 Yr Old (6th Rounder in 2012)
Donaghey - 19 Yr Old Undrafted Rookie from the Q, 3 Year Contract

Leafs
Cowen - 1 More Yr @ 3.1m
Greening - 1 More Yr @ 2.6m
Michalek - 1 More Yr @ 4.0m
Lindberg - 20 Yr Old (4th Rounder in 2013)
2nd-rounder in 2017
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Thanks for this. I always look forward to when you supply this data!
 
tiger tiger said:
It really depends what happens at the draft and where the Leafs pick. If they land Matthews, then it totally changes how they will proceed.

Then the future #1C will be Matthews and Marner as #2. Kapanen on #2RW. Nylander is a C also, but not sure if they can convert him to wing.

If the Leafs end up with top 3 and land either Puljujarvi (rw) or Laine (rw/lw), that works too. Tkachuk (lw) is a decent pick too. Or they can team up the Nylander brothers.

Or they can pick Chychrun for another LHS D (M. Reilly is L shot), but I don't think they will if they think M. Reilly is going to be the top pair. Although Chychrun is a beast, and D are hard to come by.

Now in 3 years if Tavares is a UFA and can be signed at age 28 for a long term deal, then that makes more sense than signing a 26-27 year old Stamkos now. Eberle could be a UFA then too. Or re-sign a 30 yr old JVR for vet leadership who knows the system well.

Leafs will still need to address G and D, though, since we have seen that you can't just be just sexy up front like the Oilers.
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Can you please expand on this point. Are you basically saying Tavares is a better player at an older age versus Stamkos who may have reached his ceiling?
 
There are a few points why I think Tavares could be a better fit than Stamkos.

1) Stamkos "supposedly" wants to be the highest paid player in the NHL, $11M/yr. Tavares may not have that request in contract negotiations.
2) Stamkos is a year older than Tavares, but the "rebuild" of the Leafs is in it's early stages and (hopefully) 3 years from now it is further ahead. But the commitment to Stamkos has to be made now. With signing Tavares later, Leafs will have a better sense of where their rebuild is at, and what their needs are because their prospects are a few years further along.

Let's assume in 3 years the Leafs are ready to make some noise. Stamkos will be 30. Tavares will be 29. Mind you Tavares would be turning 30 in the same year, but at the beginning of the following season. It is sort of splitting hairs on the age thing, but Stamkos will have a bit more mileage. The next 3 years of Stamkos' prime years will be wasted on non-playoff seasons. You might get close, but then you end up with a bunch of #8-12 draft picks, which likely aren't going to turn into star players.

The contract timing would be a bit off. If the Leafs are looking to make a strong push in the playoffs in 4 years, then a 7 year deal now with Stamkos would give the Leafs only 3 playoff years with him, if he does not sign back. Whereas a contract with Tavares 3 years from now would give them 6 playoff years with Tavares.

3) There are rumours that the so called "rift" between Cooper and Stamkos is how he is utilized offensively. Cooper feels Stamkos is a better winger (shooter) vs a centre (puck distributor). Stamkos wants to stay on centre. Martin St. Louis was a playmaking winger, which is rare in the NHL (which they thought they had found in Drouin). There are some people who have said that Babcock feels the same way. I'm not sure if the Leafs have an elite playmaking winger in the system to play with Stamkos in the future, to get the most out of him. Stamkos' is a sub-50 in career faceoffs too.


Basically it is this. If you sign Stamkos now, you are building around him. If you sign Tavares later, you are supplementing your team with an elite forward.


But as I said earlier, this all goes out the window if Leafs win the lottery. The Leafs could have 3 picks in the top 33, 4 picks in top 50, in a deep draft. Some good scouting and luck, the re-build process could be very quick, plus there are still assets that can be moved. I really like where the Leafs are at in terms of their re-build. Much more than what the Canucks are doing.
 
While I think Stamkos is most definitely an elite player, and a top goal scoring threat, I would MUCH rather have Tavares than Stamkos. Tavares has done a whole lot more with less, and could contend for an Art Ross every season. I really think Stamkos is one dimensional and would only thrive with the right supporting cast, something that he likely wouldn't have for the next few years in Toronto. Tavares does all the little things that Stammer doesn't, and his leadership skills would be invaluable on a young team.
 
sdpdesign said:
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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You can't buy out a contract of a player on LTIR.

newfiecomicguy1 said:
I don't think Horton is costing the Leafs anything towards the cap as he is on IR.
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Teams are only allowed to go 10% over the cap limit in the off-season. During the off-season, Horton's cap hit is 'part and parcel' of the overall Leaf cap hit, so it is used against that 10%.

^^^ that is why some teams balked at the NHL's handling of the Pronger situation. It allowed the Flyers a free pass on the summer 10% issue.

I don't recall seeing anything to the contrary in the new CBA, so I have to assume it's the same as the old one.
 
A) based on what I saw last night defensively from Phaneuf, the Leafs got rid of a liability. Three times he was a pylon on defense, including the lack of skating on Zetterberg's goal.

B) When looking at the Cap numbers that the Leaf's took in, you could easily expect that this will happen to make even more room.

Michalek - 1 More Yr @ 4.0m - gone before the trade deadline.
 
newfiecomicguy1 said:
Keep moving them out. Free up space and hopefully have some smarter signings in the future. It don't hurt getting rid of key guys with a strong draft class coming....hope they finish last by 20 points lol. As I said before I liked Phaneuf but I would have loved him at around 3.5 per season and as a 3-4 Dman. I would love to hear the first conversation between Phaneuf and Neil.
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From an interview I heard with Neil on the local Ottawa sports radio station yesterday..

Neil was the first guy downstairs at the hotel in the morning, Dion was second. They sat and had breakfast together. Dion picked up the tab.
 
suitman19 said:
A) based on what I saw last night defensively from Phaneuf, the Leafs got rid of a liability. Three times he was a pylon on defense, including the lack of skating on Zetterberg's goal.

B) When looking at the Cap numbers that the Leaf's took in, you could easily expect that this will happen to make even more room.

Michalek - 1 More Yr @ 4.0m - gone before the trade deadline.
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I'm not 100% sure, but did they play him on the left side? He has been playing the right side with a LHS. First game, so there's already going to be some adjustment.

Leafs should continue to shed contracts for future prospects or draft picks. Cowen has a pretty good cap hit too so could be attractive to some teams. I still don't think it's time to go out and sign some big name UFA. Use the money saved to pay Horton's contract.

There is a good chance that Leafs will be able to sign Vesey. That would be a pretty good steal and huge addition to the blue chip prospect pool.
 
The first time he got burned he was on the right side... Zetterberg burned him when he was on the left side.

He actually looked a bit like the Phaneuf the Leafs first got - trying to do way too much, and losing his positioning. Part of it will be getting used to a new partner and settling in. Part of it will be that he should be a 18 minute a night guy, though he had a lot of PP time last night that drove him up to 21 minutes.

He will eventually be an asset to Ottawa. Just may take time that they can't afford.

Cory
 
Cory is right.

Just watch the replay, Phaneuf is on the left and Zetterberg just goes around him.
Zetterberg is an accomplished player but not the fastest fish in the pond. You can see Phaneuf having difficulty transitioning skating backwards to facing Zetterberg.

At a critical juncture - he was exposed.
JMHO.
 
suitman19 said:
Phaneuf is on the left and Zetterberg just goes around him.
Click to expand...

If you had access to all video of all games Dion Phaneuf has played in the NHL, you could make a 3 hour movie of 10 second clips of players blowing around him on the left side.

A lot of people just don't realize how vulnerable he has always been in that situation.
 
It don't surprise me, tough guys are a tight group. I always heard Phaneuf was a standup guy. I get the same feeling about Chris Neil, seems like a good guy.


brooaar said:
From an interview I heard with Neil on the local Ottawa sports radio station yesterday..

Neil was the first guy downstairs at the hotel in the morning, Dion was second. They sat and had breakfast together. Dion picked up the tab.
Click to expand...
 
will-411 said:
The first time he got burned he was on the right side... Zetterberg burned him when he was on the left side.

He actually looked a bit like the Phaneuf the Leafs first got - trying to do way too much, and losing his positioning. Part of it will be getting used to a new partner and settling in. Part of it will be that he should be a 18 minute a night guy, though he had a lot of PP time last night that drove him up to 21 minutes.

He will eventually be an asset to Ottawa. Just may take time that they can't afford.

Cory
Click to expand...

suitman19 said:
Cory is right.

Just watch the replay, Phaneuf is on the left and Zetterberg just goes around him.
Zetterberg is an accomplished player but not the fastest fish in the pond. You can see Phaneuf having difficulty transitioning skating backwards to facing Zetterberg.

At a critical juncture - he was exposed.
JMHO.
Click to expand...

Orca Pod said:
If you had access to all video of all games Dion Phaneuf has played in the NHL, you could make a 3 hour movie of 10 second clips of players blowing around him on the left side.

A lot of people just don't realize how vulnerable he has always been in that situation.
Click to expand...

Then the Leafs win totally on this trade. If Phaneuf cannot keep up with the new NHL, and has lost a step, he'll need to adjust his game or he'll be dropped down to 2nd or 3rd pairing, and used on PP.
 
Orca Pod said:
If you had access to all video of all games Dion Phaneuf has played in the NHL, you could make a 3 hour movie of 10 second clips of players blowing around him on the left side.

A lot of people just don't realize how vulnerable he has always been in that situation.
Click to expand...

It's just too bad he wasn't traded to Vancouver eh
old friend!!!:p:devil:
 
Let me start by saying I was a HUGE Phaneuf fan before he was traded to Toronto. He was easily my favourite JR player before being drafted by Calgary. Then as natural, he became hated when he was a Leaf.

I am beginning to like it more and more. As a Sens fan - the biggest need the team had was a left handed, left playing defenceman.

Dion fills that need - is he the best d-man in the NHL? No. Was he the best available? Probably. Did the Sens give up much to get him? No. Other than Milan I won't miss anyone that they gave up.

I was at the game last night, and was watching Dion very closely. I was quite impressed at not only his skill set on the powerplay, but his leadership. After each goal against he went over to Hammond and gave him a stick tap - and then after each goal for, same thing. Never seen a player do that after each goal before.

Don't get me wrong - he has his flaws, and he will likely be beat outside more often, but I'll take the good with the bad and welcome him to the Sens organization.

It is still quite odd to me seeing the once hated Toronto Maple Leafs captain now i nthe Red/Black/Gold of the Sens.
 

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