He's constantly being defended.

If he was so good, why does he need to be defended so often?

Half of his own teams fans turn on him. In Calgary and Toronto.
- robin_steele264

Meh. That's pretty common in lots of places. Hometown fans often pick out a player or two from their own team to pick on. It's not good but it's not unusual.

funny, chara has the same issues, but i guess hes lousy too..
- big_dion

Yeah, exact same

This is exciting news.

Get ready to be bamboozled
- robin_steele264

We're finally gonna score Eberle...

i hate having the hardest hitting D man in the league with one of the hardest slap shots who gets top 10 in D scoring. its brutal!
- big_dion

Hardest hitting bigd?

He's constantly being defended.

If he was so good, why does he need to be defended so often?

Half of his own teams fans turn on him. In Calgary and Toronto.
- robin_steele264

The toronto media attacks any big name player on the Leafs.

Whole lotta Leafs fans disliked Sundin, and currently dislike Kessel. Media keeps talking about trading Kessel.

Unfortunately, many in Toronto spend too much time listening to the media, and many fans outside of Toronto use it as ammunition.

Phaneuf is a top-pairing d-man on just about any team in the league. He kills penalties, plays the PP, is good at both ends of the rink, and despite what some may say, is actually quite mobile. He chews up big minutes and can throw crushing hits.

Sometimes he makes mistakes, too. It seems the standard of being a good hockey player in Toronto is that you are literally a god, and therefore infallible... Or just wracking up the PIM and Hits stats.

Hardest hitting bigd?
- AdamFrench

I'll give him hardest hitting if he gives me slowest.

Hardest hitting bigd?
- AdamFrench

id say he and kronwall are 2 of the guys i'd least want to run into.

Think he'd be a fine #2 guy.

Paid like a #1 though, gets overused, and his game suffers.
- robin_steele264

He's a legit #1 guy. But he gets overused, because there's nobody else on the team up to top pairing calibre.


Most of the season was spent with a career AHLer in Kostka, or a guy very obviously playing injured in Gunnarsson.

norris voting or not, dion is a top D man in the league.
- big_dion

Depends on your definition as a "top D man".

Top 5 - not a chance
Top 10 - probably not (even with a 9th place Norris vote - could find 10 you would prefer)
Top 20 - yes!

He's a legit #1 guy. But he gets overused, because there's nobody else on the team up to top pairing calibre.


Most of the season was spent with a career AHLer in Kostka, or a guy very obviously playing injured in Gunnarsson.
- Feeling Glucky?

exactly.

it blows my mind people dont see this poop, honestly blows my mind.

Depends on your definition as a "top D man".

Top 5 - not a chance
Top 10 - probably not (even with a 9th place Norris vote - could find 10 you would prefer)
Top 20 - yes!
- Cooshie

he is a D man that would be a top pairing on any team in the NHL.

He's constantly being defended.

If he was so good, why does he need to be defended so often?

Half of his own teams fans turn on him. In Calgary and Toronto.
- robin_steele264

Ummmmm, could it be because he plays in Toronto, the black hole of hockey positivity?

That every single thing the Leafs do is reported on by 47 reporters?

That you have career douchebags like Simmons and Cox who need to demonstrate their superior hockey IQ by being contrarians on every subject?

Here's another little fact for you to chew on: of the top ten scoring defencemen in the NHL, Dion Phanuef averaged the most PK time.

10th in the league in scoring.

18th in the league in PKTOI/G

Sooo.....your argument that he isn't good offensively sucks.

And your argument that he isn't good defensively sucks.

You have been weighed, measured and found wanting.

The toronto media attacks any big name player on the Leafs.

Whole lotta Leafs fans disliked Sundin, and currently dislike Kessel. Media keeps talking about trading Kessel.

Unfortunately, many in Toronto spend too much time listening to the media, and many fans outside of Toronto use it as ammunition.

Phaneuf is a top-pairing d-man on just about any team in the league. He kills penalties, plays the PP, is good at both ends of the rink, and despite what some may say, is actually quite mobile. He chews up big minutes and can throw crushing hits.

Sometimes he makes mistakes, too. It seems the standard of being a good hockey player in Toronto is that you are literally a god, and therefore infallible... Or just wracking up the PIM and Hits stats.
- Feeling Glucky?

Two major problems with Dion that can be corrected, one is he has trouble pivoting and gets beat on the outside, has to work with skating coach, two is he waits for the play to come to him or just stands there instead of angling or forcing a player to give up the puck like the best d-men do.

It wasn't there, even if it was it would be clicked as ignore.
- LeafMan

You really need a "are you sure you want to report this?" button - I'm constantly banging out stuff with my stubby fingers on my itouch, and accidentally reporting people.

Ummmmm, could it be because he plays in Toronto, the black hole of hockey positivity?

That every single thing the Leafs do is reported on by 47 reporters?

That you have career douchebags like Simmons and Cox who need to demonstrate their superior hockey IQ by being contrarians on every subject?

Here's another little fact for you to chew on: of the top ten scoring defencemen in the NHL, Dion Phanuef averaged the most PK time.

10th in the league in scoring.

18th in the league in PKTOI/G

Sooo.....your argument that he isn't good offensively sucks.

And your argument that he isn't good defensively sucks.

You have been weighed, measured and found wanting.
- Atomic Wedgie

hagman, stajan, white, mayers!

Meh. That's pretty common in lots of places. Hometown fans often pick out a player or two from their own team to pick on. It's not good but it's not unusual.
- TML60

At least I'm honest about it - every year, I declare my two whipping boys.

This year it was Bozak and Komi.

Obvious choices, yes, but hey, I had to pick two.

Two major problems with Dion that can be corrected, one is he has trouble pivoting and gets beat on the outside, has to work with skating coach, two is he waits for the play to come to him or just stands there instead of angling or forcing a player to give up the puck like the best d-men do.
- LeafMan

yep agreed - he, like every nhl player has a few things to work on.

i think he needs to get a bit more aggressive out there, lay a few more hits, but without doing a pinch that hurts the team.

all in all, i think if we moved dion we sure as hell better be bringing in someone who can do it all...which isnt exactly easy to find out there.

do i think hes a great captain? no, i dont, i think hes an ok captain, but he needs to be better.

At least I'm honest about it - every year, I declare my two whipping boys.

This year it was Bozak and Komi.

Obvious choices, yes, but hey, I had to pick two.
- Atomic Wedgie

kulemin has been killing me, out of anyone..

I'll give him hardest hitting if he gives me slowest.



- robin_steele264

I really can't figure out where the footspeed stuff comes from.

Guy moves pretty fast.

he is a D man that would be a top pairing on any team in the NHL.
- big_dion

yes, agreed. He is a top pairing Dman on most NHL hockey teams. Only Leaf haters will argue against that - and if they actually KNOW hockey, they know they are wrong and just trying to stir the pot by saying it.

But, my comment was in response to you saying he was one of the top Dman in the league, not top pairing in the league. He is definitely a top pairing dman in the NHL, without question.

yep agreed - he, like every nhl player has a few things to work on.

i think he needs to get a bit more aggressive out there, lay a few more hits, but without doing a pinch that hurts the team.

all in all, i think if we moved dion we sure as hell better be bringing in someone who can do it all...which isnt exactly easy to find out there.

do i think hes a great captain? no, i dont, i think hes an ok captain, but he needs to be better.
- big_dion

In my humble opinion, his problem right now is his natural instinct is to play like a gunslinger - go for the pinch, the open ice hit, the gamble. But he's constantly told by his coaches that he has to be more conservative, because he is playing with AHL calibre dog poop.

Hesitation kills.

Get him a reliable, stay at home, 10 point a season, matte-finish defenceman who can provide Dion with the luxury of playing like Gardiner.

Pretty please?

He's a legit #1 guy. But he gets overused, because there's nobody else on the team up to top pairing calibre.


Most of the season was spent with a career AHLer in Kostka, or a guy very obviously playing injured in Gunnarsson.
- Feeling Glucky?

he was playing hurt most of the shorten season... his hip eh ....

He's a legit #1 guy. But he gets overused, because there's nobody else on the team up to top pairing calibre.


Most of the season was spent with a career AHLer in Kostka, or a guy very obviously playing injured in Gunnarsson.
- Feeling Glucky?

I disagree.

He has his fans, and he has those who don't see him as a top guy.


I don't.

I really can't figure out where the footspeed stuff comes from.

Guy moves pretty fast.
- Feeling Glucky?

He gets beat to the outside..... Often

yes, agreed. He is a top pairing Dman on most NHL hockey teams. Only Leaf haters will argue against that - and if they actually KNOW hockey, they know they are wrong and just trying to stir the pot by saying it.

But, my comment was in response to you saying he was one of the top Dman in the league, not top pairing in the league. He is definitely a top pairing dman in the NHL, without question.
- Cooshie

just the way i worded it, he is not a #1 on every team.

he is our #1 by far though, and id say on a good chunk of teams he would be on the top pairing...