The difference is, though, that both Dreger and Mackenzie made a specific point of mentioning Phaneuf.
- fifty__missions

mentioning that teams are interested, not that hes on the block and nonis has to trade him right now. why wouldn't a team be interested in a player who eats up 25 mins a night against a teams top line, lead our team d in PKTOI/G and play the 1st power play unit? in an 82 game season, phaneuf would have had 15 goals and 32 assists for 47 pts, def would have been worth that 6.5 mil price tag, especially with everything else he brings to the table.

Wilson had a bit to do with that...
- Big_Lightnin

Carlyle deserves a crap load of credit for what he was able to get out of the D corps that he had.

Look at the line up and then look at how we went from second last to 8th is GAA in the east

Ask yourself this, if you do NOT give guys like franson or gardiner chances to eat more minutes up, how will you ever know if they can handle it? Same goes with blacker. How will we ever know he is any good if he is never picked or tested to be on the leafs?
- Mapleleafs_91

Because with the minutes they do have now, they still make mistakes against 2nd and 3rd best opposition. More minutes against the top opposition unit isn't going to transform them into the best players ever. This isn't 300 where you throw your children into the wild to let them become great wolf killing warriors.

more like 7 or 8 (Kostak or Holzer for half the year)
- Big_Lightnin

i mentioned earlier in the paragraph that he played with AHL calibre guys, in regards to holzer and kostka

Phaneuf led the team last year in PKTOI/G.

He's no slouch on the defensive side.
- Atomic Wedgie

Personally he did a good job boxing out the "stars" which was similar to how franson played this year boxing out guys.. but the minutes he is given is too much. Which honestly, should be distributed equally amongst the top 4 defenders, the 1st and 2nd pairing, NOT all on phaneuf, because clearly, he cannot handle it

Phaneuf is an offensive minded defender, but guess what? Thats probably the first thing on his mind instead of defense. To make "the play" happen, to be involved in the play, trailing back on defense i wouldn't say he is the top notch shut down defender.
- Mapleleafs_91

Not on the Leafs there aren't.

And I'm not saying he's a "top notch" shutdown defender, he's just the best on the Leafs by a mile.

if he wasn't, he wouldn't be playing twice the defensive minutes EVERYONE else plays. Carlyle is a defensive coach, and a former shut-down player. He's the best judge here, and he puts Dion out in the Dzone for EVERY face-off he can, and he played more PK time than anybody else on the Leafs D... for a reason.

Ask yourself this, if you do NOT give guys like franson or gardiner chances to eat more minutes up, how will you ever know if they can handle it? Same goes with blacker. How will we ever know he is any good if he is never picked or tested to be on the leafs?
- Mapleleafs_91

3 of 5 goals in game seven were scored against them 5-on-5. They can't handle it. Not yet.

And the way to train them to handle it is NOT to dump your #1D and throw them into the line of fire. That's how you ruin careers.

Could have heard it as in someone else inquiring and Nonis saying "I'll listen"
- Big_Lightnin

Actually Dreger said that there had been no inquiries made to Nonis at that point - who's putting Dion's name out there, then?

Personally he did a good job boxing out the "stars" which was similar to how franson played this year boxing out guys.. but the minutes he is given is too much. Which honestly, should be distributed equally amongst the top 4 defenders, the 1st and 2nd pairing, NOT all on phaneuf, because clearly, he cannot handle it
- Mapleleafs_91

so then we should be bringing in more guys to help spread the load, not get rid of our #1 guy don't you think?

Personally he did a good job boxing out the "stars" which was similar to how franson played this year boxing out guys.. but the minutes he is given is too much. Which honestly, should be distributed equally amongst the top 4 defenders, the 1st and 2nd pairing, NOT all on phaneuf, because clearly, he cannot handle it
- Mapleleafs_91

I agree... and Carlyle would love to have another option, but he doesn't

Actually Dreger said that there had been no inquiries made to Nonis at that point - who's putting Dion's name out there, then?
- fifty__missions

Bill Watters?

or tell him to look what Tavares did... be like him. Leave money on the table.

Max years at $6-6.5M is a GREAT number for Kessel, and would allow them to make the team better.

still the highest paid forward.
- Big_Lightnin

I would love that, i just doubt it.

so then we should be bringing in more guys to help spread the load, not get rid of our #1 guy don't you think?
- matt1337

mentioning that teams are interested, not that hes on the block and nonis has to trade him right now. why wouldn't a team be interested in a player who eats up 25 mins a night against a teams top line, lead our team d in PKTOI/G and play the 1st power play unit? in an 82 game season, phaneuf would have had 15 goals and 32 assists for 47 pts, def would have been worth that 6.5 mil price tag, especially with everything else he brings to the table.
- matt1337

That's not what Dreger/Mac mentioned. They said there were rumblings he was on the market, but NO inquiries had been made.

so then we should be bringing in more guys to help spread the load, not get rid of our #1 guy don't you think?
- matt1337

i didn't say trade him away just seems everyone here is poopting their pants if phaneuf is traded away

I agree... and Carlyle would love to have another option, but he doesn't
- Big_Lightnin

Heres a clue for Nonis, "more defensively minded defenders" thank you! Franson, Phaneuf, Gardiner is more than enough, liles can take a hike

i didn't say trade him away just seems everyone here is poopting their pants if phaneuf is traded away
- Mapleleafs_91

i would be cause we have no one to replace what he brings to this team

That's not what Dreger/Mac mentioned. They said there were rumblings he was on the market, but NO inquiries had been made.
- fifty__missions

doesn't mean teams arent interested lol they just either haven't pitched an offer or nonis doesn't want them to know that teams have

Dreger/Mackenzie's tweet:

"Rumblings Phaneuf in play. Nonis says he'll trade almost anyone, says no one called on captain.....yet"/ Hearing same rumours."

i would be cause we have no one to replace what he brings to this team
- matt1337

I call shenanigans on that theory, if we brought more defensive minded defenders to the team and distributed the minutes, (this is without phaneuf) i still think the team would do a good job

i didn't say trade him away just seems everyone here is poopting their pants if phaneuf is traded away
- Mapleleafs_91

yup, cause the D will suck without him unless 2 top guys are brought in. It's not good enough with him, and he's the best player on D

That's not what Dreger/Mac mentioned. They said there were rumblings he was on the market, but NO inquiries had been made.
- fifty__missions

Then how would there be rumblings? Don't discussions have to take place for there to be rumblings?

I think you're reading way too much into the wording of a few tweets. Believe it or not, Mac and Dreger are not sitting in Nonis' office, transcribing everything he says verbatim.

I would be fine with Phaneuf in a package, so long as a very good d man comes back. The problem isn't Phaneuf, it's that he needs someone at least as good, someone with better "quick feet" in the zone to play with. At his likely salary demands it probly wouldn't work, however if it could work, keeping him would be fine.

yup, cause the D will suck without him unless 2 top guys are brought in. It's not good enough with him, and he's the best player on D
- Big_Lightnin

I think Pietrangelo is still unsigned...........


(Haha, no way)

yup, cause the D will suck without him unless 2 top guys are brought in. It's not good enough with him, and he's the best player on D
- Big_Lightnin

What if you do not need 2 top guys and just brought in more defensive minded defenders and distributed the minutes equally between the 1st and 2nd pairing? We still have franson and gardiner as our offensively minded defenders