dimi78
Registered User
- Aug 9, 2008
- 4,354
- 294
Yep.
As is making sure we don't unnecessarily overwhelm our developing and highly talented youngsters.
RIelly and Gardiner have ONLY a combined 240 NHL games experience. Does letting them take over the defense really sound like that smart of an idea?
You don't trade a player because he MIGHT become expendable, you trade him when he is. LA didn't trade Jack Johnson until Slava Voynov proved he could run a PP unit. Richards/Carter weren't traded UNTIL Giroux made it obvious he was ready for more time.
Trading Phaneuf before the Gardiner/Rielly are truly ready is a great way to continue prolonging the rebuild. I honestly can't believe we are even having this discussion. You'd think Leaf fans would have learned by now and might look at the absolute awful time the Oilers keep having by throwing high end draft players into the thick of things before they are ready.
I'm not of the proponent to sell off Phanuef at all, anybody who thinks the Leafs are a better team without him as appose to with him really don't know what they're talking about but this assertion that if Dion were to be traded would hinder the two young guys on D I don't believe for 1 second.
You know what hinders these 2 young guys from being there best? Carlyle micromanaged bench, rope & dope spend 70% of the game in the defensive zone, shackles on PMD hockey. That's not an environment for any D men to be successful let alone 2 kids
You should be more concerned with Carlyle still being the head coach about the growth and development of these 2 than if the Leafs were to trade Phanuef or not.
Giving TOI to youngsters, staying patient with them and believing in them is really the only way to develop young guys because it's experience with the opportunity to learn from said experience is how young guys learn. The way you insulate them is by being a competitive team that gives as much as it takes. You know playing 200 feet hockey and not spending 70% of the game in the defensive zone in survival mode.