What went wrong with Dion Phaneuf?

[Dolemite]

Went down hill right about here

I remember watching this live and the CBC announcer laughing when he saw it on replay. This is why I loved watching Jarrko Ruutu when he was with the Canucks.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Someone please post the great evolution of Dion picture....... Ah shit, I'll put it here, and actually i think it is due for an update. We need the Ottawa and now L.A. additions.

 

[Boud]

I don't think anything went wrong with Phaneuf, I think what went wrong is that Toronto was stupid enough to hand him that contract that set up the expectations way too high for what he was able to bring on a nightly basis.

Obviously there are some factors besides his contract that made him slow down. He is a slower player than before, but never was fast to begin with. Thing is the game has changed since his Calgary days to a faster pace. He adapted but that also meant him no not being as effective as he once was.

Phaneuf is a still a useful player. He might be one of the only player innthe league that's able to sustain a role and be as slow as he is. If you consider the speed at which he plays the game, it really is a miracle that he can be effective still. The guy is realistically worth 4-5M at this point though while he's getting paid 6.5-7M.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Someone please post the great evolution of Dion picture....... Ah ****, I'll put it here, and actually i think it is due for an update. We need the Ottawa and now L.A. additions.

Oddly, he seems happier with life this year

 

[Boud]

Oddly, he seems happier with life this year

Not having to wear a paper bag on your head like in Toronto when you go out in public will do that to your face.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Oddly, he seems happier with life this year

That's quite shocking, I might add!

 

[Freedom]

He played for the team named Toronto Maple Leafs... Same as Kessel

 

[Gnashville]

He was overhyped to being with because of his World Jrs. and walked onto a really good Calgary team where he was sheltered and got a bunch of points.

 

[sr edler]

Life sucked the joy out of him.

 

[93LEAFS]

My personal theory on Dion is that the way the game started getting called around 2009 to 2012 fundamentally altered his game. Dion grew up with the incentive of killing guys in open-ice Scott Stevens style, but as they started implementing hits to the head, late hits and charging calls, it was no longer a beneficial approach. Previously, his over aggression which would occasionally lead to 2 on 1's or breakaways, was beneficial because of the fear deterrent it created. Now, he had to fundamentally change his whole approach to the game in his mid-20's. I believe it exasperated his hockey-iq issues, which led to him constantly making mis-reads on how to maintain gap-control and his aggressiveness.

Now, that isn't the only factor. He would have still regressed but maybe not as much due to diminishing skating. I also don't think he ever had a partner as good as Reghr in allowing him to be ultra aggressive and pinch.

 

[ballofhate13]

Simply put ......fake tough guy. It is an old adage term but it exposes players for what they are.

 

[Legionnaire]

 

[SaltNPeca]

The curse of the monster.

Despite the fact he's a special player, he just hasn't delivered many double Dion's during hammer time. The scouting staff did a great job finding this player... <insert lengthy discussion of his junior career and stuff about Europe>...

 

[Battle Lin]

well hes past his prime and the league now is too fast for him even in his prime...hes severely overpaid but people act like he cant play no more, hes still a 4-6 D

 

[sr edler]

Oddly, he seems happier with life this year

That's the worst fake smile I've seen in my life. And I'm relatively old.

 

[varano]

In the mid to late 00s, Phaneuf was one of the most promising potential stars of the league with his bone-crushing hits and scoring touch for Calgary. 10 years and 3 teams later, he simply hasn't had the kind of career many foresaw. What stood in the way?

His game changed a lot and he never improved a long side with the speed of the NHL

 

[KCC]

Was dubbed this next "great player" and never ended up being that like most players who have a lot of hype entering the league.

 

[Deuce Awesome]

When he came to Toronto we had the illusion that we just pulled off another Gilmour heist type deal from Calgary. A young, tough defenceman that we all remembered from the highlight reel blasting goals and crushing guys with hits. Got him for literally spare parts. Awesome! Calgary fans tried to warn us about him but we were hearing none of it. Leafs fans had little to celebrate at that time, must have been a dressing room rift or something. Why else would they make this deal? Burke is God!

Brian Burke elevated him to Pronger like status and thought that him and Kessel were the guys to build a contending team out of. He was given the paycheck and the top pairing status immediately, well, its not like we had much at the time so why not.

After a couple years it became clear that he was not the guy to build around. Not for lack of trying, I never once questioned Dion's effort on a day to day basis. The game got faster and he was just too slow to keep up.

Then the on ice product just got worse and worse, and, rightly or wrongly, he was the fall guy for it.

Then we trade him to Ottawa, our biggest rival, for less than what we gave up to aquire him. I think that says it all right there.

Placed in a roll not meant for him in one of the big market teams where he was expected to be "the guy"

I think he just peaked early, everyone thought he would improve and he didn't. Dion is still a good defenceman, just not a top pairing guy. Hope he does well in LA.

 

[rent free]

He's slow mentally and on his skates and he's always hunched over from the looks of it. Also he sucks in his own zone.

 

[Avs71]

When boomboxes went the way of the dinasour, he lost his ability to walk into a dressing room and change the song.

Not sure anyone ever viewed him as a leader again.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

He's slow mentally and on his skates and he's always hunched over from the looks of it. Also he sucks in his own zone.

This ^^^

And when he made headlines after the lockout he was a breath of fresh air with his hits and goals. And as long as he only had to focus on hits and shooting the puck he did great. But with a new contract came new demands and Dion failed to live up to them. You can not have a player eating that much of the cap having other players to cover for you defensively. Especially if you are a defenseman and not named Erik Karlsson.

 

[sr edler]

According to Rhett Warrener, his former defensive teammate on the Flames, Phaneuf didn't want to hone or improve his defensive game, but was instead more interested in big hits and offense. It could also be true he couldn't improve that side of his game even if he wanted to. He's not the quickest guy around, and perhaps not the brightest either.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

But the locker room cancer stuff I dont buy anymore. He might have been a bit to cocky for the veterans in Calgary but his bad personality does not seem to be correct.

 

[DickSmehlik]

I think the locker room cancer stuff can be solely traced back to his cigarette use in the locker room.

 

[Crosscrease14]

He was given the captaincy way too quickly in Toronto and the team was pretty bad during his tenure so the media went after him a lot.

Then he was given a contract that was 2-3 million dollars too much each year. That didn't help his perception.

If he wasn't captain of some of the worst Toronto teams in memory and way overpaid he wouldn't have such a negative perception. He's steady enough but he's slow and doesn't have the best hockey IQ. Basically everywhere the game is going, he is not.