He is a UFA according to capgeek.

After next year, MTL's D is looking like Subban, Georges and the kids. I like the Canadiens young D as well, but they are going to need another older D, that can play 20-25 minutes if they want to compete.
- IanEsplen

Diaz and Emelin are both turning out to be very good and im sure they will be re-upped and im sure Markov will be kept around a couple more years to play with Emelin. With Tinordi, Beaulieu, Dietz, Thrower, Ellis on their way...the problem wont be on defense.

edit: If a vet were to come in, it would probably be a Mitchell/Greene/Orpik/Scuderi type to replace Gorges

Not a chance on the Blues Flyers trade. Coburn place left, doesn't replace Pietro's minutes on the right. Read is a rental player about to be a UFA, and the type of depth guy Blues are already stacked with, we don't have a roster spot for him. Coots has value, but no where near a 23 year old who looks like a perennial Norris contender.

Blues won't trade Pietro. And if they were hypothetically going to, it would be more like both Schenn's, Coots, & first round pick. Don't expect Blues to trade Petro for anything less than the sort of package Flyers would trade Giroux for.

Diaz and Emelin are both turning out to be very good and im sure they will be re-upped and im sure Markov will be kept around a couple more years to play with Emelin. With Tinordi, Beaulieu, Dietz, Thrower, Ellis on their way...the problem wont be on defense.
- Jaciems

Well to be fair the odds of all these guys being good NHL defenseman is slim.

This being said, yes, our prospect pool is looking great on defense... not so much on offense.

You know what, if people really believe that Bieksa is a better player than Phaneuf, it's pointless to argue it. Phaneuf would be a top-2 defenseman on any team save Chicago, Boston, Nashville, maybe LA, and maybe St. Louis. He's not an elite defenseman, but he's on that next level. Bieksa is on the next level down from that. If you don't agree with that and think that Bieksa's character and style outweight he benefits that Phaneuf brings, then good for you.

maybe, but at least the girl he's getting back with is hot.
- IanEsplen

The girl he's going back to is a Cougar...USED to be hot. There's a little wear and tear now.

Not a chance on the Blues Flyers trade. Coburn place left, doesn't replace Pietro's minutes on the right. Read is a rental player about to be a UFA, and the type of depth guy Blues are already stacked with, we don't have a roster spot for him. Coots has value, but no where near a 23 year old who looks like a perennial Norris contender.

Blues won't trade Pietro. And if they were hypothetically going to, it would be more like both Schenn's, Coots, & first round pick. Don't expect Blues to trade Petro for anything less than the sort of package Flyers would trade Giroux for.
- Antilles

I just dont get why someone doesnt offer sheet Petro. I love him as a d man and think he is that elite shut down guy that you need to win a cup. Would love the nucks to throw 7mil a year at him and see what happens. I know its impossible cause we dont have the cap room or the ability to trade all our guys because of NTC but I can pray.

Not a chance on the Blues Flyers trade. Coburn place left, doesn't replace Pietro's minutes on the right. Read is a rental player about to be a UFA, and the type of depth guy Blues are already stacked with, we don't have a roster spot for him. Coots has value, but no where near a 23 year old who looks like a perennial Norris contender.

Blues won't trade Pietro. And if they were hypothetically going to, it would be more like both Schenn's, Coots, & first round pick. Don't expect Blues to trade Petro for anything less than the sort of package Flyers would trade Giroux for.
- Antilles

Yeah, the Flyers weren't going to give up Coots and Schenn for Weber, so doubt they'd do it for AP. Read is a rental, yes, but he's arguably the best value in the league (20+ goals for $900K). Coburn is what he is, a solid #4 defenseman who plasy well at ES & PK. Not saying it's a good deal, but Read and Coburn aren't exactly throwaways or dime-a-dozen players either.

He had Komisarek, whom Markov thrived with.
He had Beauchemin, whom Niedermayer thrived with.

Phaneuf is a disaster in his own end. He was on for every Bruins goal in game 7. He's dumb as a rock, and has ZERO hockey sense. I wouldn't want him on my team EVER.
- Scooby_Doo

He never played with Beauchemin. You're really embarrassing yourself here.

I just dont get why someone doesnt offer sheet Petro. I love him as a d man and think he is that elite shut down guy that you need to win a cup. Would love the nucks to throw 7mil a year at him and see what happens. I know its impossible cause we dont have the cap room or the ability to trade all our guys because of NTC but I can pray.
- Bluechip23

I think you answered your own question. With the cap shrinking, the teams with the $$ to throw at him don't have the cap space. The OS would have to be huge ($7.5M/season 7 years) for the Blues to not match. It could have been done last year, but not this year.

Much better defensively. Meaner. Better leader. Better teammate.
- KB3Point0

Bieksa better defensively? I love irony when used correctly.

The girl he's going back to is a Cougar...USED to be hot. There's a little wear and tear now.
- djamon

Do you not look at the cougar life ad?

As for leader/teammate, I don't have regular access into the locker room of either team so I can't say.
- jmatchett383

You don't need access to the locker room to know this. It's quite well known that the reason why Dion was traded from Calgary was because he banged Conroy's wife. Not exactly what you would say is good teammate material.

You know what, if people really believe that Bieksa is a better player than Phaneuf, it's pointless to argue it. Phaneuf would be a top-2 defenseman on any team save Chicago, Boston, Nashville, maybe LA, and maybe St. Louis. He's not an elite defenseman, but he's on that next level. Bieksa is on the next level down from that. If you don't agree with that and think that Bieksa's character and style outweight he benefits that Phaneuf brings, then good for you.
- jmatchett383

And yet Toronto who has one of the worst D corps in the league is trying to trade him, that's got to tell you something at least? Nobody except a few Leaf haters are saying he's a horrible defenseman, but he is massively overpaid and even at 2 million less would be hard-pressed to be more than a 3/4 D-man on a good team. There's a reason any trade rumors about him have the Leafs being forced to keep salary on him to get any sort of value for him. He was good on a very average Calgary team until he decided that he could get away with sleeping with other teammates wives and from there his play (and career) plummeted. There's a huge reason beyond sleeping with Elisha Cuthbert that Avery put out his infamous "sloppy seconds" line about Dion.

The Leafs have no one to replace him
Who is going to take over his minutes? Gunnarson, Kostka...
- Jaciems

Kostka's is Chicago...so probably not him.

Someone explain this to me. Why as canucks fans can we not see the stats for what they are. leafs let in 25 more goals than the nucks over an 82 game season (13 goals over 48 games). Thats not a big difference. We all agree that Schnieds and Lu are much better than Reimer and Scrivens so the difference in the goals could be attributed to the Goalies. If its to the D being so strong then the goalies are equal. We cant have it both ways.
- Bluechip23

I would say that the premise of your argument is flawed. Allowing 13 less goals last season could absolutely mean that the goaltending and D are better.

Also keep in mind that they allowed 13 less goals in a season where they played most of the year without their number 2 (or 3) center (who is also their best defensive forward, a Selke winner just 2 seasons ago). Their D combinations were atrocious to the point that the entire coaching staff was fired and injuries to only R shooting D-men forced many of their D to play out of position for most of the year. Also, the team had a few off nights (last game of the year when most of the lineup was sat and they allowed 7, first game of the year and due to no preseason the goalies allowed 7) that inflate the numbers much more in a shortened season.

Despite all of that they still allowed 13 less goals. Can you provide an argument as to why their goaltending AND defense are not better than the Leafs?

He had Komisarek, whom Markov thrived with.
He had Beauchemin, whom Niedermayer thrived with.

Phaneuf is a disaster in his own end. He was on for every Bruins goal in game 7. He's dumb as a rock, and has ZERO hockey sense. I wouldn't want him on my team EVER.
- Scooby_Doo

I mostly agree with everything you say here but like it or not he is more valuable than Bieksa.

Do you not look at the cougar life ad?
- IanEsplen

You know what, if people really believe that Bieksa is a better player than Phaneuf, it's pointless to argue it. Phaneuf would be a top-2 defenseman on any team save Chicago, Boston, Nashville, maybe LA, and maybe St. Louis. He's not an elite defenseman, but he's on that next level. Bieksa is on the next level down from that. If you don't agree with that and think that Bieksa's character and style outweight he benefits that Phaneuf brings, then good for you.
- jmatchett383

Dion tends to gamble a lot so when he screws up, it's very noticeable. That being said, he plays a ton of minutes for the buds and is always playing against top lines. He brings an offensive side that no one else on the team can. Give Franson a few years perhaps, but he's not at Dion's level yet. He get's a lot of criticism - some of it fair and some of it, not so much. Very similar to Bieksa in that regard. If salaries were equal, I think there would be no question that Dion would be more highly sought after. Bieksa has played on teams with much better defensive depth in his career than Dion.

The girl he's going back to is a Cougar...USED to be hot. There's a little wear and tear now.
- djamon

And her name is Daniel

You don't need access to the locker room to know this. It's quite well known that the reason why Dion was traded from Calgary was because he banged Conroy's wife. Not exactly what you would say is good teammate material.
- Chest Rockwell

I love this sh!t. "quite well known..."

In other words...completely made up. Whatever happened to all those Kesler rumours about filming at the team party? Oh yeah...they were made up too...

He never played with Beauchemin. You're really embarrassing yourself here.
- djamon

Oh really... A leafs fan not knowing Phaneuf and beauchemin played together... And I'm embarrassing myself?

Must have been great playing with both players to be able to compare them like that.

I envy you sir. I really do.
- Scabeh

Just going by what gets said around the league. Considering there are no rumours about Bieksa sleeping with any teammates' wives this has traditionally been the point that most don't disagree with.

And yet Toronto who has one of the worst D corps in the league is trying to trade him, that's got to tell you something at least? Nobody except a few Leaf haters are saying he's a horrible defenseman, but he is massively overpaid and even at 2 million less would be hard-pressed to be more than a 3/4 D-man on a good team. There's a reason any trade rumors about him have the Leafs being forced to keep salary on him to get any sort of value for him. He was good on a very average Calgary team until he decided that he could get away with sleeping with other teammates wives and from there his play (and career) plummeted. There's a huge reason beyond sleeping with Elisha Cuthbert that Avery put out his infamous "sloppy seconds" line about Dion.
- DariusKnight

The Leafs are absolutely NOT trying to trade Dion. Don't be a sheep.

Better defensively how? Does he hit more? Does he block more shots? Is it quantifiable any way?

Meaner, fine, I guess his snarl is fine.

As for leader/teammate, I don't have regular access into the locker room of either team so I can't say.
- jmatchett383

How about plus / minus?

Why not?

MTL has two NHL D-men signed past next season and that is assuming Subban re-signs. Why wouldn't they have an interest in Edler?

Feel free to counter
- IanEsplen

He didn't say they wouldn't be interested in Edler.