Possible Phaneuf Extension

[Kessel Run]

Dreger just reported on TSN that negotiations are ongoing and that it is going to get done.

Nothing official but believed to be approximately 7 years @ 7M. Still minor haggling going on.

 

[Strangelove]

Dreger just reported on TSN that negotiations are ongoing and that it is going to get done.

Nothing official but believed to be approximately 7 years @ 7M. Still minor haggling going on.

I don't like it. He's stepped up his defensive game, but his offence is drying up and he's looking slower and slower as time goes on.  He is not a 7 million dollar man, and isn't the guy who should be leading this team into the future.

 

[Rick C.]

Dreger just reported on TSN that negotiations are ongoing and that it is going to get done.

Nothing official but believed to be approximately 7 years @ 7M. Still minor haggling going on.

Sounds just about where I thought they'd be, if not a little higher per year.

 

[Arn]

Dreger just reported on TSN that negotiations are ongoing and that it is going to get done.

Nothing official but believed to be approximately 7 years @ 7M. Still minor haggling going on.

I don't like it. He's stepped up his defensive game, but his offence is drying up and he's looking slower and slower as time goes on.  He is not a 7 million dollar man, and isn't the guy who should be leading this team into the future.

Every defenseman on this team's offense has dried up though. So while I agree his has, I think the teams style or whatever it is also needs to be considered before using that as a stick to beat him with

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Seems like a fair deal if it ends up being that.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

I'd be happy with that.

 

[2badknees]

With the cap going up, 7 over 7 seems reasonable to me. He doesn't get hurt much and plays a ton of minutes against top lines - and despite that, has the best +- on the team, I believe.

 

[Redleaf]

Dreger just reported on TSN that negotiations are ongoing and that it is going to get done.

Nothing official but believed to be approximately 7 years @ 7M. Still minor haggling going on.

I don't like it. He's stepped up his defensive game, but his offence is drying up and he's looking slower and slower as time goes on.  He is not a 7 million dollar man, and isn't the guy who should be leading this team into the future.

Who replaces him if he won't budge from 7 mil then? I don't see too many options with his skill set available (or who will be available), and in reality the Leafs could use 2 like him moving forward.

 

[ZBBM]

Dreger just reported on TSN that negotiations are ongoing and that it is going to get done.

Nothing official but believed to be approximately 7 years @ 7M. Still minor haggling going on.

I don't like it. He's stepped up his defensive game, but his offence is drying up and he's looking slower and slower as time goes on.  He is not a 7 million dollar man, and isn't the guy who should be leading this team into the future.

Yep.  Unfortunately our genius GM is about to add to his stellar record of signing the wrong guys long-term. 

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I'd love to see what Phaneuf could do under a different coach/system. Of all the players on this team I think he would most benefit from a change. There's a lot more to him offensively.

 

[Bullfrog]

Maybe that's part of the haggling:

$8M to stay as is.

$7M if you get someone to put me on the right point on the powerplay.

 

[bustaheims]

$7M for 7 seasons is about right. His defensive game is massively improved (outside of a few miscues tonight). His offensive game will pick up when the rest of the team's picks up . . . so, within a few days of Carlyle being removed from his position as coach.

 

[ZBBM]

Why would changing coaches improve Phaneuf's offensive game?  It won't help him make better decisions, it won't help him aim his cannonshot any better, it won't improve his terror-inducing puck handling at the blueline, and it won't improve his mediocre skating.

If, for whatever unfathomable reason, we just have to be stuck with this guy for an ungodly number of years more, then at least let the next coach insist he focus on defense.  He's played far and away his best defensive hockey as a Leaf this year.  We've seen the best he can do, and that's all we can expect.

 

[bustaheims]

Why would changing coaches improve Phaneuf's offensive game?  It won't help him make better decisions, it won't help him aim his cannonshot any better, it won't improve his terror-inducing puck handling at the blueline, and it won't improve his mediocre skating.

It should improve the team's offensive play, which, in turn, will lead to more opportunities to produce for Phaneuf. A new coach could also use him more in a way that allows him to succeed and take pressure off of him, which will help with some of his decision making issues (less pressure -> less rushed decisions -> less mistakes). On top of that, I really don't think his skating is all that bad. It's not high end, obviously, but, for a defenceman, I think it's actually pretty good.

 

[Kin]

For what I think Phaneuf is, which is a second pairing guy on a really good team, I'm guessing that this deal will probably fit into the salary cap landscape of the next few years.

 

[azzurri63]

Overrated and another contract we will be complaining  about down the road. His play this year has been better but I personally feel being in his last year might have a bit to do with that. We have seen almost 4 years of him in TO and for the most part haven't been overly excited about his play. Nonis I personally feel was a great addition but strongly feel Burke is the smarter of the two even though he brought Dion here. 13 mill for Phaneuf and Clarkson wtf.

 

[Jalili]

Not too surprising. Would prefer 5 years instead of 7, but you gotta do what it takes.

 

[ZBBM]

Why would changing coaches improve Phaneuf's offensive game?  It won't help him make better decisions, it won't help him aim his cannonshot any better, it won't improve his terror-inducing puck handling at the blueline, and it won't improve his mediocre skating.

It should improve the team's offensive play, which, in turn, will lead to more opportunities to produce for Phaneuf. A new coach could also use him more in a way that allows him to succeed and take pressure off of him, which will help with some of his decision making issues (less pressure -> less rushed decisions -> less mistakes). On top of that, I really don't think his skating is all that bad. It's not high end, obviously, but, for a defenceman, I think it's actually pretty good.

But these kind of observations, which are correct in themselves, point toward what Nik is saying: he's a second-pairing defenseman on a really good team.  The fact that we have to use him as a #1 is a measure of how far from being really good our defense is.  Moreover, it strongly suggests he shouldn't be captain in a market like TO.  (That was one of Burke's many over-reaching mistakes.)

 

[Rebel_1812]

Dreger just reported on TSN that negotiations are ongoing and that it is going to get done.

Nothing official but believed to be approximately 7 years @ 7M. Still minor haggling going on.

I don't like it. He's stepped up his defensive game, but his offence is drying up and he's looking slower and slower as time goes on.  He is not a 7 million dollar man, and isn't the guy who should be leading this team into the future.

Who replaces him if he won't budge from 7 mil then? I don't see too many options with his skill set available (or who will be available), and in reality the Leafs could use 2 like him moving forward.

I really agree with this sentiment.  The mentality of some here is that he isn't "good enough" so let him walk; reminds me of the girl alone that doesn't have a date to the prom because every guy that asked was turned down because they weren't "good enough".  Where else are we going to get a number 1 defense men?  The biggest UFA signing has been Clarkson, so its not like UFAs are lining up to sign here.  We have been burned many times on the trade route and to get a defense men better then Phaneuf is going to cost a kings ransom if available at all. Our defense would be lost without this guy.  Sometimes you have to make due with what you have.  Else you'll be like that girl alone at the prom but holding her head up high because she didn't go with anyone she didn't deem "good enough".

 

[Bullfrog]

But these kind of observations, which are correct in themselves, point toward what Nik is saying: he's a second-pairing defenseman on a really good team.  The fact that we have to use him as a #1 is a measure of how far from being really good our defense is.  Moreover, it strongly suggests he shouldn't be captain in a market like TO.  (That was one of Burke's many over-reaching mistakes.)

Which some of us -- me included -- think is a bunch of baloney. I honestly can't think of a single team where he's a #3 guy, assuming that's what being a second pairing d-man means. Maybe Chicago, though that's a stretch.

After looking at every team in the league and trying to be as objective as I can, there aren't many teams where he's not the #1 guy, let alone not a top-pairing defenseman. 10 teams tops. The way I see it, he's a top 10 defenseman in this league taking into account all facets of the game.

And, no, it's not a "strong suggestion" that he shouldn't be captain. I think there's little correlation there at all to be honest. I do believe the captain should be one of the best players on the team, but he's clearly that.