Why not Dion in Sochi?

[Duke Silver]

Please don't post this on the main board.

 

[BayStreetBullies*]

Please don't post this on the main board.

Oh lord. Haters would ***** bricks.

 

[diceman934]

Bad feet.....is the reason why he will mot make the team. On big ice his transitional skating would be a liability.

He is having a great year and that will get him some consideration. Anyone who feels that he is being held of the team because of some preconceived opinions is not looking at the list of available D man and being honest with themselves.

 

[BayStreetBullies*]

Bad feet.....is the reason why he will mot make the team. On big ice his transitional skating would be a liability.

He is having a great year and that will get him some consideration. Anyone who feels that he is being held of the team because of some preconceived opinions is not looking at the list of available D man and being honest with themselves.

If Subban and Letang are going, then so should Phaneuf. That's being honest.

 

[McGuiresMonsters]

Hockey Canada is afraid Phaneuf will injure half their squad in practice with his clapper .

 

[BayStreetBullies*]

Hockey Canada is afraid Phaneuf will injure half their squad in practice with his clapper .

It would work out well for the Leafs when the NHL season resumes.

 

[LeafOfBread]

Because there's better players

Stick to the lounge bud, I don't think hockey is your forte.

Anyway Dion should certainly get consideration, he's been having an unreal year and imo he's a step ahead of JayBo who people have been suggesting should make the team.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Letang is a joke of a defence man.

 

[Kessley Snipes*]

Dion should be strongly considered. If it was on NA ice I would put him as a lock. Unfortunately with the larger ice surface I dont think his skating will be strong enough to put him in the top 7.

 

[Banic]

It would work out well for the Leafs when the NHL season resumes.

Or he inadvertently takes our JVR and Kessel in the same play at some point

 

[BayStreetBullies*]

Or he inadvertently takes our JVR and Kessel in the same play at some point

Nah, he'd just target non-Leafs players.

 

[BIitz]

The only clear cut better defenders than Phaneuf are Pietrangelo, Weber, Doughty, and Keith. I think he could have a shot.

 

[Dreakmur]

I would think the top-5 defensemen are pretty easy to pick. Doughty, Keith, Pietrangelo, Weber, and Bouwmeester. I also think Seabrook is essentially a sure thing too.

That leaves a couple spots left, and a lot of guys fighting over them. Depending what team Canada thinks they need from their bottom defensemen, Phaneuf could be in the mix.

1 of Kris Letang, PK Subban, or possibly Brian Campbell will take a spot.

That leaves 1 spot for Dion Phaneuf, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Dan Hamhuis, and Mark Giordano to fight over. I would lean towards Vlasic or Hamhuis, but that's just my preference.

 

[pucci2001]

Yup and how many did Tavares and Crosby score this year?

Lemme guve you a hint, their combined total rhymes with Hero.

You know Bolland was the one tasked with checking Crosby right? Bolland was all over him that night. Were you watching the game?

Honestly, Dion is a good dman but there are other people that fit his mold that are better. Personally I would take Subban over him if he were to fit on the bottom pairing. Dion isn't good enough to be top 4 either, Keith, Seabrooke, Weber, Doughty have that locked up and Pietrangelo, SUbban, Vlasic, Boyle, Letang and more are all competing for the bottom spots. Dion might elevate his game like in the world Jrs. but he is too far removed from that for his performance to count back then.

Bottom line Dion does not reek of confidence and safety on the back end and we have other guys that are as offensively capable or more so which IMO leaves him on the outside looking in. Especially when he has shown he gets burned on the outside more than enough times the last couple seasons, the big ice would only exacerbate that problem.

Sorry Dion, no team Canada but we are happy to have you in Toronto, please take a pay cut or pay freeze this offseason lol.

 

[pucci2001]

If Subban and Letang are going, then so should Phaneuf. That's being honest.

Its likely it will be one of Subban/Letang/Dion that go if any, they are all similar players.

 

[The Blue Devil]

Cause we want a medal.... Seriously though, he would struggle with the speed on the big ice. Weber brings more overall than Phaneuf, so foot speed can be neglected between the two here.

And what has this better overall Dman done since Suter left?

 

[The Blue Devil]

Crosby has 40 points in 26 career games against Toronto

Ovechkin has 46 points in 30 career games against Toronto

Tavares has 16 in 15.

If we're under the assumption that top line forwards are getting matched against top line D a la Dion Phaneuf, then he's not really doing such a great job.

There are better D-men in Canada than Dion Phaneuf. Has Vlasic been mentioned by one of the credible sources? Or just on HFBoards by posters?

How many do they have combined THIS year and last, you know, the only years that should really matter?

 

[The Blue Devil]

You know Bolland was the one tasked with checking Crosby right? Bolland was all over him that night. Were you watching the game?

Honestly, Dion is a good dman but there are other people that fit his mold that are better. Personally I would take Subban over him if he were to fit on the bottom pairing. Dion isn't good enough to be top 4 either, Keith, Seabrooke, Weber, Doughty have that locked up and Pietrangelo, SUbban, Vlasic, Boyle, Letang and more are all competing for the bottom spots. Dion might elevate his game like in the world Jrs. but he is too far removed from that for his performance to count back then.

Bottom line Dion does not reek of confidence and safety on the back end and we have other guys that are as offensively capable or more so which IMO leaves him on the outside looking in. Especially when he has shown he gets burned on the outside more than enough times the last couple seasons, the big ice would only exacerbate that problem.

Sorry Dion, no team Canada but we are happy to have you in Toronto, please take a pay cut or pay freeze this offseason lol.

We should be asking you the same, maybe you should actually check who was all over them in those games.

Probably one of the worst posts.

 

[K19*]

Stick to the lounge bud, I don't think hockey is your forte.

Anyway Dion should certainly get consideration, he's been having an unreal year and imo he's a step ahead of JayBo who people have been suggesting should make the team.

Vlasic > Phaneuf tbh.


So sorry.

 

[Bravid Nonahan]

Based on...what exactly? Can someone pull up their relevant qualcomp stats? Their offensive stats?

 

[Al14]

Slower foot speed and big ice don't mix!

Sorry, as much as I like Phaneuf, he'd be a liability on the bigger ice surface amongst some of the best skaters in the world.

 

[pucci2001]

We should be asking you the same, maybe you should actually check who was all over them in those games.

Probably one of the worst posts.

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/10/27/maple-leafs-bolland-a-beast-against-pens

Yes, its the sun but everywhere you look credit goes to Bolland first Clarkson and Dion were secondary to the fact they had Bolland glued to Crosby the whole game. I specifically rememeber it just like in the memorial cup when the knights put Bolland and Prust up Crosby's ass back then.

Please, calm your **** and give credit where it is due. I am not trying to shame Dion I am merely stating I don't believe he is best suited to be on team Canada because he gets caught flat footed and runs around like a chicken with his head cut off at times in his own end.

I will give him credit, he has been better this year but he still isn't the definition of a shutdown Dman. Toronto shuts down players by committee, not just putting Dion on the ice and not caring who else is on like Boston does with Chara or Minnesota does with Suter. Also Dion can't handle huge minutes, his play declines big time when he plays over 22 minutes a game.

 

[pucci2001]

How many do they have combined THIS year and last, you know, the only years that should really matter?

Also, last year Crosby put up 2g 3a in 3 games against Toronto and was a +5, almost 2ppg not bad if you ask me. This year is different, perhaps Bolland had an impact after all.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/3737/splits?year=2012

 

[Igy]

He's outside the conversation, but not by much.

 

[yakfish]

I'd be happy to see Phanuef get a break and rest up during the Olympic break. Then come back ready to go after other teams top player are worn out coming back from the games.