Chatter has picked up over the last 24 hours regarding the possibility of the Maple Leafs trading team captain Dion Phaneuf.
A report in Saturday’s
Edmonton Journal cited an interview with former Toronto assistant GM Bill Watters on Edmonton radio that the 28 year old defenseman is a potential target of the new Oilers management team headed by GM Craig MacTavish.
“Dion Phaneuf should be dispatched as soon as they possibly can and the story I hear is that Edmonton’s interested and if they are, tell [general manager Craig MacTavish] to take him and have fun with him.” Watters said
Rumors of the Leafs being open to trading Phaneuf popped up prior to the NHL Draft in Newark, NJ at the end of June, to which GM Dave Nonis answered with artful evasiveness.
“That all depends on who else you add, it depends on where the cap goes. It’s way too premature to answer that.” Nonis said “If the revenues go where we hope they go and the cap jumps up, then we’ll have more money to spend.”
Eklund reports that the New Jersey Devils, who have been financially unburdened by the “retirement” of Ilya Kovalchuk, may also be interested.
In spite of the fact that the salary cap could jump back up over $70 Million in 2014-15 based on next season’s hockey related revenue that will include six outdoors games, the Leafs may only be willing to sign one of Phil Kessel and Phaneuf a long term contract extension before they become unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2013-14 season.
ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun indicated last month that Toronto was willing to listen to offers for the three time All-Star, but they were not actively shopping him.
In the wake of the signing of free agent winger David Clarkson and re-signings of Joe Colborne and Tyler Bozak, the Leafs have less than $10 Million in available salary cap room to re-sign Carl Gunnarsson, Cody Franson, Mark Fraser and Nazem Kadri, which may make the trading of Phaneuf or veteran John-Michael Liles a necessity.
Edmonton radio host and Oilers analyst Bob Stauffer indicated that he had not heard that the club was pursuing Phaneuf (an Edmonton native and three time All Star) and doubts whether his $6.5 Million price tag would be a good fit in the Oilers current salary structure.
“I’m not sure the Oilers want to add on that extra money right now.” Stauffer said “They don’t have a defenseman making over three and a half million bucks and they would have to trade one back if they were to do something there.”
In spite of the addition of veteran blueliner Andrew Ference, the Oilers blueline is still thin, a problem that has to be rectified for former Marlies coach Dallas Eakins to have a chance to get Edmonton into the playoffs in the near future.
Kessel would appear to be first choice for Leafs management to get locked up on a long-term extension, which might be an easier task now that good buddy Tyler Bozak re-signed with the club, but with the escalating price tags of defensemen, Phaneuf may not be willing to accept any kind of salary reduction on a new deal.
“Randy Carlyle used him 26 minutes a game. It’s going to be tough to replace those minutes.” Watters said in a Leaf Buzz interview in early July “I don’t see Phaneuf as being the captain of any team, I don’t see Phaneuf as being a $6.5 to $7 Million defenseman. If they can sign him for $4(Million), take your chances with him.”
There is no guarantee that the Leafs will move Phaneuf prior to the season, but if they intend to sign Franson to a long term deal and think that youngsters Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly are capable of being top four defenders in the next year or two, then Phaneuf could be viewed as a pricey but expendable commodity.
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