The Blue and White Disease

[Mess]

Him being the 4th best dman was someone elses fantasy. I don't believe that will happen but if it did, how would that not be a good thing.

Shouldn't Leaf fans want the Team to get better?

How is it possible in a salary cap world is my question?

Phaneuf is already salary and cap at and among the NHL's best, if he moves out of the Leafs top pairing then you have a big problem in both moving him and icing a competitive team because his play has fallen off. It would be the same as Clarkson of bad contract and under-performing player with the desire to get better to remove him.

Its the very reason why people want Dion traded now to get better by bringing in better players than Phaneuf.

 

[The Apologist]

If you're saying they turn over the Management too quickly I agree.

Someone else gets it. And hey, everyone is clamouring to do it again! Then we can all ***** and moan about his this team has no system, no direction and no sense of who they are and wonder why that is!!

 

[achtungbaby]

I don't see him being that difficult to move, if need be, and with the cap continuing to rise his salary won't be a hinderance.

IMO, the Team will be in very good shape if he's the 4th best defenseman in a couple years.

A rising tide lifts all boats. You know you have some lousy contracts when you have to make this argument.

Also, I'd like to know what our payroll looks like with Dion as the 4th best dman.

 

[ShaneFalco]

How is it possible in a salary cap world is my question?

Phaneuf is already salary and cap at and among the NHL's best, if he moves out of the Leafs top pairing then you have a big problem in both moving him and icing a competitive team because his play has fallen off. It would be the same as Clarkson of bad contract and under-performing player with the desire to get better to remove him.

Its the very reason why people want Dion traded now to get better by bringing in better players than Phaneuf.

I think Phaneuf could be a lot more effective with a legit #2 guy.
But to me, this is the time to move him. Go in a new direction, a new leader, a new look. He has too many holes in his game to be paid 7 mill.

 

[Trapper]

I think Phaneuf could be a lot more effective with a legit #2 guy.
But to me, this is the time to move him. Go in a new direction, a new leader, a new direction. He has too many holes in his game to be paid 7 mill.

I don't see having to overpay Bolland to help out the overpaid core guys as a good thing long term.
Its a money pit. When you buy a house for 50K undervalue and spend 100K to have to fix it up.
If you don't have a culture and are not sure of your identity, you shouldn't be locking up Phaneuf,Clarkson,Lupul and maybe Bolland to long term expensive deals.
I'm all for playing the kids, losing the long term deals and go from there.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I don't see having to overpay Bolland to help out the overpaid core guys as a good thing long term.
Its a money pit. When you buy a house for 50K undervalue and spend 100K to have to fix it up.
If you don't have a culture and are not sure of your identity, you shouldn't be locking up Phaneuf,Clarkson,Lupul and maybe Bolland to long term expensive deals.
I'm all for playing the kids, losing the long term deals and go from there.

Think of the cap space that's used with those guys without Bolland. Add in a guy who can't stay healthy and who knows if he'll recover fully......... how can they go there!?

 

[Brown Dog]

I just don't get why this team always has to do things backward.

Remember that four-headed GM we had back in the 90s? Who else but the Leafs would attempt something like that?

Then there was that whole power struggle between Quinn and JFJ.

Next is old man Fletcher for that bizarre interim period--and he's allowed him to actually make significant long-term moves, including bringing in a coach (Rotten Rony), signing UFAs (Finger?!), and trading youth for veterans (Steen for Stempniak).

Then we bring in Burke (while still keeping Cliffy's coach) and give him the keys to the kingdom after a high-profile GM search where the franchise promised to bring in a bona fide guy with impeccable credentials to set the long-term course.

Four years later and a failed quick-fix retool, Burke is gone, but we keep all his lieutenants and his head coach.

Now enter Shanahan. Who knows what he'll do, but if it's anything other than keeping the vestiges of the regime he inherited and tinkering with the scraps, it will be a significant departure from what has come before.

I don't mind Nonis, but if the Shanahan hiring was anything more than a PR move, he will strip this mother down and rebuild it with his own vision, whatever that may be.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I just don't get why this team always has to do things backward.

Remember that four-headed GM we had back in the 90s? Who else but the Leafs would attempt something like that?

Then there was that whole power struggle between Quinn and JFJ.

Next is old man Fletcher for that bizarre interim period--and he's allowed him to actually make significant long-term moves, including bringing in a coach (Rotten Rony), signing UFAs (Finger?!), and trading youth for veterans (Steen for Stempniak).

Then we bring in Burke (while still keeping Cliffy's coach) and give him the keys to the kingdom after a high-profile GM search where the franchise promised to bring in a bona fide guy with impeccable credentials to set the long-term course.

Four years later and a failed quick-fix retool, Burke is gone, but we keep all his lieutenants and his head coach.

Now enter Shanahan. Who knows what he'll do, but if it's anything other than keeping the vestiges of the regime he inherited and tinkering with the scraps, it will be a significant departure from what has come before.

I don't mind Nonis, but if the Shanahan hiring was anything more than a PR move, he will strip this mother down and rebuild it with his own vision, whatever that may be.

It's mind boggling for sure. I guess that what happens when you have someone like Peddie making decisions.
I think a lot of people are tired of the gong show now though
Dysfunction at its finest

 

[Brown Dog]

It's mind boggling for sure. I guess that what happens when you have someone like Peddie making decisions.
I think a lot of people are tired of the gong show now though
Dysfunction at its finest

It's time to stop and say who do we want running this show?

I'm not sold on Shanahan yet, but if we're committed to this guy as the visionary of the hockey department, I hope he guts every area (management, scouting, coaching, player development) and brings in competent people who he trusts and who share and can help him execute that vision.

Figure out what we want the team to look like and how we want them to play. Then bring in players and coaches who can make that happen. Make it consistent at all levels. Draft players who bring those qualities and preach this stuff to the Marlies and even the guys in Europe and junior.

I find too often this franchise has been content to just try to win individual trades and bring in good players, but without a vision for the team as a whole. I think it's why the team never seems to have much of an identity and why so many of our players are castoffs from other organizations. It's an expensive and ineffective way to build a team.

 

[Patty Lee]

I posted the video in the thread that I mentioned it in....it is not a conspiracy but a fact that he made fun of him.....here is a quote to the newspaper the next day: But the best comment was Giggy’s:

“Haha I thought it was pretty funny. Dion is a great asset to our team. When he’s not here we love to make fun of him.â€

I find the comment by Giggy odd.....When he's not here we love to make fun of him!

I rest my case!

you should rest your case; it's too full of holes to stay afloat

hilarious

 

[Patty Lee]

I was at the next game following the "infamous" Kessel/Phanuef blow up on the ice and watched them, as the last two coming up the tunnel, laughing and tapping each other as they went out for the anthem.

Honestly anyone who thinks the words exchanged at the face off dot(while under extreme pressure to end the freefall) have any real meaning, probably hasn't been around any type of competitive sport.

exactly

 

[diceman934]

He was 33rd in mins played (23.33 ), how is that over-utilized ?

It's very difficult to take your opinion seriously when your saying he's a valuable asset yet he needs to play less and in a more sheltered role . You don't pay a player the 5th highest salary at his position if he can't handle the mins and role the expectations of that cap hit come with .

Yes, many on here claim he is being over utilized while not being over played when looking at the minutes of other D man in the league. He simply is not good enough for the amount of money we are paying him and is vastly over paid and always has been since he signed that horrible contract that Calgary gave him, then when they realized that the error they got a much better D man and traded Dion for table scraps!