Dion Phaneuf Trade To Ottawa

[613Leafer]

Honestly, Dion is being overpaid for about 2mil/yr. No doubt that contract will look horrible in 2-3 yrs time, but to say that Dion is not a top 4 Dmen in the NHL now is harsh and untrue.

Give him some credits, he plays hard out there night in and night out.

He's pretty borderline as a top 4 dman. Phaneuf has never been elite defensively, and now his offence is starting to slip. He's been a ~30 point defenceman for like 3 years now, and this year is projecting even lower than that.

A ~25 point guy that is ok but not great defensively, isn't THAT useful a piece. Severely overpaid, and that's as of right now. He has FIVE years left on his deal.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Honestly, Dion is being overpaid for about 2mil/yr. No doubt that contract will look horrible in 2-3 yrs time, but to say that Dion is not a top 4 Dmen in the NHL now is harsh and untrue.

Give him some credits, he plays hard out there night in and night out.

It´s a difference between playing hard and finding it hard to play. The difference between him and Polak as hockey players are not that huge. Polak is the better skater and Phaneuf got a better shot and passing ability. But they are both lacking hockey sense but makes up for it with brute force and they are more or less equally good at defending.

 

[LeafFever]

I feel like we never hear about Dion anymore. The criticism of guys completely leaves once they get traded out of town.

 

[diceman934]

What is it you believe he does that makes him a good 2nd pair D?

His offense has dried up, he can't handle the puck under pressure , he has very poor mobility, he has a low hockey iq, he avoids being 1st on the puck like the plague but for some reason there's still people out there that believe he a good D.

It's truly unbelievable how long he's lived off his first few years in the league.

Also considering how far the Leafs were willing to go financially to structure the trade to make him appealing we still couldn't get anything but a meh pick back. That should tell you everything you need to know about how the rest of the teams view him as a player.

Dion is similar to Polak, Hunwick and Marincin in ability maybe slightly higher but that is arguable and none are top 4 D man and neither is Dion at this point, yet is paid as a number one...Dion has no value and his contract is among the worse in the NHL. This was one of our all time best trades in term of positive impact on the team.

 

[diceman934]

It´s a difference between playing hard and finding it hard to play. The difference between him and Polak as hockey players are not that huge. Polak is the better skater and Phaneuf got a better shot and passing ability. But they are both lacking hockey sense but makes up for it with brute force and they are more or less equally good at defending.

I just posted the same thought...not a lot of difference at all, and if forced to make a choice it would easily be Polak....less money and more effort.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

I feel like we never hear about Dion anymore. The criticism of guys completely leaves once they get traded out of town.

Phaneuf isn't getting the same criticism for two reasons: the Ottawa media is a lot less vicious than the Toronto media, and Phaneuf is playing a different role for Ottawa. Toronto threw him into a role he wasn't suited for and crucified him for that. Coming into Ottawa, he's playing on the second pairing. He's not being relied on to be the go-to guy for Ottawa. He makes mistakes like he did in Toronto, however, there's a lot less of them due to him playing in a situation more comfortable for him.

This season, he played a couple/few bad games at the beginning of the season. Ceci has had a pretty bad year, although has gotten better recently. The defense of the team is leaps and bounds better than last year because of the coaching/system and an improved defensive core. Before the trade, I thought he was the perfect player for the Sens second pairing, although the division factor and money factor made me think it was impossible.

I'm sure when Dion is older the Sens won't be too happy paying him the money they will be. But in the meantime, it seems like a win-win trade. Sens got what they wanted, and Leafs got rid of his cap hit and turned it into short-term liabilities

 

[Menzinger]

I think it's a bit extreme to say he's not a top four guy or that he's terrible.

I think he's a serviceable 2nd pairing guy who if he was making 4 million a season nobody would utter a peep about

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Unless you have experienced living in different cities, to say that the Toronto media is severe, harsh or intrusive is just NOT true. There may be more of it, but the Toronto sports media is soft on the Leafs and the Leafs management....for the longest time.

Phanuef was more criticized for average play and eating so much of the cap 7m a year. Can't blame him if Burke and Nonis were so incompetent to offer him so much money. Hockeys fans were frustrated by the play of Phanuef and Kessel and in a cap world environment they believed the team was not going to get better.

Starting next year the Leafs will not Phaneuf or any of the players that came to Toronto in the trade. The 7m the Leafs will have to spend for four years....Dion's salary will be spend on better players than Phanuef. That was the purpose of the trade.

Basically Phanuef and his 5 years in Ottawa at 7m cap hit for 7m in Greening, Michalek, Cowan for one year, and then 4 years of 7 million to. spend. Leafs also acquired Lindberg and the second rounder is going go the Ducks for about half of Freddie Andersen trade.

 

[RyCam]

Just wanna chime in and echo everyone who is saying that both teams won the trade in terms of what they needed.

The Leafs won because they moved a massive contract and a player that they did not need for their rebuild and added to their assets(Lindberg and the 2nd rounder) with the only caveat being that they have to eat some short term garbage contracts, not a problem for a team with deep pockets like the Leafs.

The Sens won because defence has been one of their big weaknesses the past few seasons, and Dion is, at worst, a 2nd pairing defenceman. The Sens have the luxury of cap space, while having the limitations of a tight budget, so Dion's contract works out perfectly for the Sens(a really high cap space but his actual salary is about average for a 2nd pairing dman).

Contrary to some uninformed opinions here, Dion is not playing bad. He had an extremely rocky start to the season(and that may be an understatement) but has stabilized the last few weeks. Even if Dion plays well, that does not mean that the trade is a loss for the Leafs, so I don't quite understand the insistence of some posters in incorrectly claiming that he isn't even a 3rd pairing dman.

 

[diceman934]

Just wanna chime in and echo everyone who is saying that both teams won the trade in terms of what they needed.

The Leafs won because they moved a massive contract and a player that they did not need for their rebuild and added to their assets(Lindberg and the 2nd rounder) with the only caveat being that they have to eat some short term garbage contracts, not a problem for a team with deep pockets like the Leafs.

The Sens won because defence has been one of their big weaknesses the past few seasons, and Dion is, at worst, a 2nd pairing defenceman. The Sens have the luxury of cap space, while having the limitations of a tight budget, so Dion's contract works out perfectly for the Sens(a really high cap space but his actual salary is about average for a 2nd pairing dman).

Contrary to some uninformed opinions here, Dion is not playing bad. He had an extremely rocky start to the season(and that may be an understatement) but has stabilized the last few weeks. Even if Dion plays well, that does not mean that the trade is a loss for the Leafs, so I don't quite understand the insistence of some posters in incorrectly claiming that he isn't even a 3rd pairing dman.

He makes 7.5M this year, and that is high end elite money, not second pair average money. He will make 7M next year and then 6.5M the two season following and finally 5.5M in his last season. That is actual money. 33M over 5 years is his actually salary that Ottawa is paying him. 6.5M a year! Vastly over paid.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Great move for the Leafs long term. Phaneuf is helping Ottawa, but that contract sucks.

What is up with Greening and Michalek anyway? Any chance they play for Toronto this year?

 

[Maple Leaf Forever]

His salary is actually less, 4.5 mil I think? Cap hit of 7 mil. For a non cap team it's not as bad but even at 4.5 mil it's a massive over payment.

Obviously Tor won the deal hands down. Ott was really desperate to make the playoffs last year and made a bad trade and it backfired big time.

https://www.capfriendly.com/players/dion-phaneuf


Terrible contract.

 

[zeke]

perfect fit for ottawa, and needed cap relief for us.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Great move for the Leafs long term. Phaneuf is helping Ottawa, but that contract sucks.

What is up with Greening and Michalek anyway? Any chance they play for Toronto this year?

Not much change they play for the Leafs this year. Leafs are giving their young players an opportunity.
One "nice" thing about being an AHLer, especially if you're a NHL vet, living in Toronto might be better for you and your family than smaller town USA. Not better, but you are just more used to it.

Lou and Leafs management will allow Greening Michalek, Laich to play in the NHL if any NHL team wants
their services. Leafs would retain contract $$ too. By the way, watched o the Marlie/Utica game yesterday, (it was at the ACC), thought Michalek was very good.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

See they goal by Phanuef last night. He looked like Bobby Orr. Well maybe not, but it sure was nice and an important goal too.

 

[Battle Lin]

if dion was younger and paid correctly in that 4-5mill range...i would love to add a phaneuf type D to our defense right now

 

[Maple Leaf Forever]

Phaneuf...21 games 2 goals 4 assists.....- 7 plus minus ...at $7.5 salary this year ...and he is goin to get even slower over time ...I am sure Ottawa would love to move him but nobody takin that contract ...TSN 1200 in Ottawa talk all the time about how he Cecci have to be better...don't think he is a good fit for anybody based on stats and contract.

 

[DueDiligence]

Phaneuf...21 games 2 goals 4 assists.....- 7 plus minus ...at $7.5 salary this year ...and he is goin to get even slower over time ...I am sure Ottawa would love to move him but nobody takin that contract ...TSN 1200 in Ottawa talk all the time about how he Cecci have to be better...don't think he is a good fit for anybody based on stats and contract.

You are just another dumb fan that doesn't watch any games and just looks at stats. The Senators have done a 180 turn this year and become a defense first team under Boucher. Nobody on that team is scoring but their GA are way down. Phaneuf wasn't good the first 7 games and neither were a lot of his teammates but in the last 15 he and the team have been way better. If his partner Ceci had been playing even half decent Phaneuf's stats would be way better as well.
Bottom line is that right now the Senators are tied for 3rd in the conference and the team is happy with him.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Phaneuf...21 games 2 goals 4 assists.....- 7 plus minus ...at $7.5 salary this year ...and he is goin to get even slower over time ...I am sure Ottawa would love to move him but nobody takin that contract ...TSN 1200 in Ottawa talk all the time about how he Cecci have to be better...don't think he is a good fit for anybody based on stats and contract.

Phaneuf is doing better than his numbers indicate. He's not worth his salary, we all know that, but he's at worst our third best defenceman. Ceci has really struggled, but that's not because of Dion.

 

[hotpaws]

You are just another dumb fan that doesn't watch any games and just looks at stats. The Senators have done a 180 turn this year and become a defense first team under Boucher. Nobody on that team is scoring but their GA are way down. Phaneuf wasn't good the first 7 games and neither were a lot of his teammates but in the last 15 he and the team have been way better. If his partner Ceci had been playing even half decent Phaneuf's stats would be way better as well.
Bottom line is that right now the Senators are tied for 3rd in the conference and the team is happy with him.

The Sens are riding a hot goalie and blaming Dion's partner for him playing like a bottom pair D has been done countless times and is a tired and lame excuse.

 

[Parkdale]

I think the issue with Phaneuf has been the term of his contract, and less so the cap hit. If he was on a 1 or 2 year contract, he might still have been seen as useful to the Leafs as a stop-gap defenceman while the youngsters mature. As it was, the 7 year, now 6 year term projected him to be an anchor to their future cap management planning. That they found a trading partner in Ottawa who took him on without salary retention should be considered good fortune. If Ottawa has truly found value in Phaneuf, good on them.

 

[Finnish your Czech]

Just wanna chime in and echo everyone who is saying that both teams won the trade in terms of what they needed.

The Leafs won because they moved a massive contract and a player that they did not need for their rebuild and added to their assets(Lindberg and the 2nd rounder) with the only caveat being that they have to eat some short term garbage contracts, not a problem for a team with deep pockets like the Leafs.

The Sens won because defence has been one of their big weaknesses the past few seasons, and Dion is, at worst, a 2nd pairing defenceman. The Sens have the luxury of cap space, while having the limitations of a tight budget, so Dion's contract works out perfectly for the Sens(a really high cap space but his actual salary is about average for a 2nd pairing dman).

Contrary to some uninformed opinions here, Dion is not playing bad. He had an extremely rocky start to the season(and that may be an understatement) but has stabilized the last few weeks. Even if Dion plays well, that does not mean that the trade is a loss for the Leafs, so I don't quite understand the insistence of some posters in incorrectly claiming that he isn't even a 3rd pairing dman.

Both teams won the trade, shocking right?

 

[BayStreetBully]

I liked Phaneuf as a person, but our old core just wasn't getting it done. There was an inherent benefit in moving on from the Kessel and Phaneuf era. They can both re-invent themselves elsewhere without the baggage of the years of failure during their time here.

 

[pucky]

Overpaid but they corrected their mistake with the trade.

Sens are making some peculiar trades in recent years. Bishop is one that comes to mind.

 

[Maple Leaf Forever]

You are just another dumb fan that doesn't watch any games and just looks at stats. The Senators have done a 180 turn this year and become a defense first team under Boucher. Nobody on that team is scoring but their GA are way down. Phaneuf wasn't good the first 7 games and neither were a lot of his teammates but in the last 15 he and the team have been way better. If his partner Ceci had been playing even half decent Phaneuf's stats would be way better as well.
Bottom line is that right now the Senators are tied for 3rd in the conference and the team is happy with him.

Well this dumb fan knows when Dion was a Leaf he was the brunt of jokes by Ottawa supporters ...what has changed? Oh now he is a Senator....the big turnaround defensively in Ottawa is Anderson standing on his head most nights...and good on him....your still being outshot big time most games and your 24th in league home attendance....attended Bruin game last week and it was a dog......anyway your record is good ...lookin forward to attending parade down Terry Fox drive.