Sportsnet: Jeremy Roenick says it how it is/about leafs

[Antropovsky]

roenick sums up the leafs and especially phaneuf and kessel perfectly.

He says he'd love to have phaneuf on his team, but he's definitely no captain. He says phaneuf just doesn't have what it takes to be a captain.

He says kessel is a great player, but he can't take criticism. When he's questioned by media, instead of proving them wrong, he says "what the hell?".

Roenick can be an idiot, but he played the game hard and everything he said, was on the mark. even when he says phaneuf is a 4th or 5th pairing guy on his team, it's a bold statement, but it's something I agree with. On a stanley cup team I think phaneuf is a 4th guy. hes been living on his first few years in the nhl way to long, back then he was an offensive, physical force who wasn't great on defence. Now he's a weak offensive player (considering his minutes) with a mild physical game and an ok defender, but is very prone to mental mistakes.

Good read regardless.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/jeremy-roenick-rips-toronto-maple-leafs-dion-phaneuf-phil-kessel/

Click to read more...

 

[Ace88*]

Yay! Everybody pile on! Run everybody out of town and burn down the village!

 

[Teeder9]

I don't care for Phaneuf at all and I would cheer if he was shipped out, but a 4th or 5th dman? C'mon.

 

[AuGsY]

I don't care for Phaneuf at all and I would cheer if he was shipped out, but a 4th or 5th dman? C'mon.

I found it funny how he refers to himself as a Phaneuf fan, yet he would only want him if he was the 4th or 5th defenseman...

IMO Dion is still a #2 or #3 guy in the league, hes just not a number 1.

 

[Kingstonian84*]

I found it funny how he refers to himself as a Phaneuf fan, yet he would only want him if he was the 4th or 5th defenseman...

IMO Dion is still a #2 or #3 guy in the league, hes just not a number 1.

Imo there's no such thing as a #1d, either you play on the first pairing or you don't. Phaneuf is an adequate top pairing guy, just not an elite one.

 

[KPower]

How many cups does Roenick have?

 

[ITM]

He's not far off. Phaneuf is not and HAS NOT fulfilled the expectations/requirements of an NHL captain. I don't necessarily want him traded, but I expect our club to identify roles accurately.

He's a number two, top pairing defenceman, but...but...he needs support below and leadership above.

A true center, who is also a captain in every sense of the word is the piece this club needs to move mountains to get...Or is it a capable GM we need first to get the center?

 

[diceman934]

Minus 18 in his last 16 games.....he has been horrible....he is not a top pair D man..I said last year he was a 2-3 and dropping and he is continuing to drop.

 

[HellasLEAF]

Roenick can suck my nut. I don't care if he is right.

Stuff like this, 'news articles' ya right they are just opinions, we should keep all in one place or something. Everyone is chiming in with their jabs gonna get ugly.

 

[Leafspoison*]

How many cups does Roenick have?

...How many does Dion have?

 

[Rielly4]

Dion can play PP and PK effectively and 5 on 5 with the right partner can shutdown opposition and again with the right partner could have good possession numbers.Hes not going to really carry a defensive pairing though. If he played with Pietrangelo he would be really good.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Yeah, I agree with Rielly4 in that Dion is a guy that can play big minutes well but that he needs the right partner to do it. That's what defines a #1 guy in my book, someone who is able to carry a pairing that plays that kind of minutes.

What I have most against him is how he's been one of our worst players in every collapse we've had, as far as I can remember. He lets the slumps get to him.

 

[Mike Martin]

How many cups does Roenick have?

He scored 500 goals in his career, I think that makes him superior enough to Dion to be capable of judging the situation.

 

[Mike Martin]

Yeah, I agree with Rielly4 in that Dion is a guy that can play big minutes well but that he needs the right partner to do it. That's what defines a #1 guy in my book, someone who is able to carry a pairing that plays that kind of minutes.

What I have most against him is how he's been one of our worst players in every collapse we've had, as far as I can remember. He lets the slumps get to him.

A number one Defenseman should be able to score goals (he only has 2 this year) and be excellent on the Power Play, Dion's shot from the point is almost always wide, he isn't a Mark Giordano or P.K. Subban.

 

[StringsAttached]

How many cups does Roenick have?

I heard Roy is still looking for his jock up in the rafters to this very day.

When Roenick speaks, you listen.

 

[richardn]

He is absolutely bang on. Kessel and Phaneuf are complimentary players being payed like franchise players where they are asked to lead this team. The main problem is it is nearly impossible to plug in the players and salaries they need to add to make this team succeed. When you look at the players we have and the cap hit it consumes and then start to look at what the team needs it just isn't out there. There is no magic trade or UFA signing that will get this team any where. Then you look at it from a drafting perspective and its a real crap shoot to get the types of players we need to put us over the top considering where we usually draft from.

I hate to sound like a broken record but this team in my eyes needs to hit the reset button from every aspect coaches players and management. Now is the time to get the value for the players that need to go in order for a fresh start.

 

[Al14]

Yay! Everybody pile on! Run everybody out of town and burn down the village!

The sooner the better, and, hopefully we receive a bunch of 2015 draft picks in the process!

Highly doubt it happens, however, as Shanahan is still evaluating, and, Nonis has no guts to execute a toilet break correctly, never mind making some trades to improve our draft picture!

 

[senor martinez]

Roenick is spot on as usual.

JR understands the game greatly and speaks from the heart. Heart is one thing not all of our players possess. Our team and its coaching staff is horrible. They almost never win anymore.

 

[Al14]

Minus 18 in his last 16 games.....he has been horrible....he is not a top pair D man..I said last year he was a 2-3 and dropping and he is continuing to drop.

He needs a true #1 D to play with to remain as a top pairing D. On a Stanley Cup contender, he is a perfect #3 D IMHO.

 

[richardn]

He needs a true #1 D to play with to remain as a top pairing D. On a Stanley Cup contender, he is a perfect #3 D IMHO.

Maybe but not at that price tag. Who do you suggest be his top pairing Dman last time I checked teams weren't just giving away #1 Dman and even if they were our team doesn't have the required cap space to just add another 8 million dollar cap hit and still acquire a true 1C. This core of players doesn't financially work in a cap era to be front running team. You can't build a team around complimentary players and expect them to be succsesfull

 

[Larcos_Unal]

True rebuild is underway, Dion has to go, Lupul, Winnik, Reims too.
Kick tires on Kessel and if you can get a first, a blue chipper+, send him on his way.

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

Maybe but not at that price tag. Who do you suggest be his top pairing Dman last time I checked teams weren't just giving away #1 Dman and even if they were our team doesn't have the required cap space to just add another 8 million dollar cap hit and still acquire a true 1C. This core of players doesn't financially work in a cap era to be front running team. You can't build a team around complimentary players and expect them to be succsesfull

Everything bang on. Heavily overpaid complimentary players playing outside of their roles is a massive screw up dating back to Burke and his lap dog Nonis intensified the **** up

 

[Trapper]

Hockey is a team game but every team has it's group (or core for those of you who love that word) of players that it leans on, build around and allocate the bulk of it's cap to. These are supposed to be your best players and the players that drive the bus during rough patches.

For those saying why didn't other teams get rid of Stamkos/Giroux/Tavares etc., well even when the team was bad those players were still their best players.

During our last 2 slides, have Bozak/Kessel/Phaneuf been our best players?

 

[achtungbaby]

How many cups does Roenick have?

How many cups do you have?

 

[Banic]

How many cups does Roenick have?

A lot less than Kevin Lowe, cups don't necessarily make you a smart hockey person.