Why do you think that? Honestly asking.
He's been the #1 d man on a terrible team that's gone through a number of coaches and relies on him to do it all on defence.
I've been very critical of Dion, but I know Babcock sees something in him, and I trust Babcock's opinion on him more than my own haha.
I wouldn't strip him of the C, and it doesn't look like he's going to be traded...not yet, anyway.
Dion Phaneuf is 30 years old and he was never a defensive stalwart in Calgary I don't think? Dion was good at scoring goals and making points in Calgary. And it's too late for him to learn to become a great defender at this point.
Mike Babcock will likely at the very least utilize Phaneuf more effectively and efficiently than Ron Wilson, Randy Carlyle and Peter Horachek ever did though.
I don't see Dion Phaneuf as one of the core pieces of this team going forward. I'd like for us to flip Phaneuf and get a good return. Maybe it wouldn't hurt if we give him one year with Mike Babcock. And then trade him at 31. Defense-men tend to peak later than forwards anyway. But Dion Phaneuf is a slow skater. And he's only going to get slower as he ages. He's a depreciating asset.
If we waited a year to deal Phil, he'd still only be 29. And Phil is a fast skater. I don't think Phil has peaked yet. Management seemed to be in an awful hurry to dump Phil Kessel. Without giving him a chance to improve his trade value.
Joffrey Lupul will be 32 this season. He definitely needs to be dealt. If anyone will actually take his $15.75 million/3 year contract...
I don't think Bozak is worth his $12.6 million/3 year deal either. Bozak's cap hit is second-liner esque but his 5v5 point production rate is at the level of a fourth liner. The reason why his point totals are as high as they are now is because of the opportunities he's offered on the power play. I have serious doubts about whether Bozak can hang in the Top 6 without being carried by Kessel.
If Bozak witnesses a regression in his point production without Kessel, his trade value is going to suffer. So there is a risk involved in keeping Bozak around. If we keep Bozak around, we are banking on Bozak being a serviceable Top 6 forward. If the Leafs are keeping Bozak, they should give Nazem Kadri a more expanded role. But keep giving Bozak a lot of face-offs. Kind of like what Boston did with Krejci/Bergeron. Krejci was the first-line centre. But Bergeron took the most face-offs. I believe Tyler Seguin has his face-off burden lightened by Jamie Benn and what not too in Dallas. You can still be a first-line centre. And yet not be the main face-off guy.