since when did "overrated" turn into "sucks"? a guy can be overrated and still be a really good player.
- DoubleDown

Not wanting to pay him max dollars doesnt mean you have to think he sucks.

Typical overrated Leafs player. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
- twpguy

Like Schenn.

since when did "overrated" turn into "sucks"? a guy can be overrated and still be a really good player.
- DoubleDown

Go get him DD.

Wow sounds like everyone is doing the leafs a favour with the Phaneuf hate. If Clarkson and Weiss are worth 5 Phaneuf will get 7. I like him on our team, I won't be destroyed if he leaves, but I will need to get a new jersey.

Not wanting to pay him max dollars doesnt mean you have to think he sucks.
- aminnes

exactly.

Like Schenn.
- weirdoh

happy holidays buddy

Yup, another bone head who cant be smart and patient. Like the leafs havent seen this so many times before.
- aminnes

Yup.

Leafs have Kessel, Lupul, and JVR locked up long term.

This is the worst time to try and compete. What we need to do is start another rebuild, so that we're ready to compete when their contracts are expiring/when they're over the hill.

Dion is a top 5 D in the league, give him whatever he wants
- weirdoh

Team Canada here he comes…. oh wait.

Hell no.
Anyone who says he is.......is a complete fool!

Hell no.
Anyone who says he is.......is a complete fool!
- Fakepartofme

Maybe even an incomplete fool

Not wanting to pay him max dollars doesnt mean you have to think he sucks.
- aminnes

Max length, not max $


7M is a good deal. It's barely a raise in NHL terms, and the team isn't tight on cap by any means.

He, Bolland and Riemer are the only important guys not signed beyond this season, and there's plenty of room to get them all, plus another top defender to play with Phaneuf, or at least help reduce the amount of time he needs to be on the ice.

Not keeping him is a massive, massive step backwards.

Team Canada here he comes…. oh wait.
- Drapz

i'm sure he'd be a welcomed addition to Hockey Canada's entry in the 2014...





IIHF World Championships. ahahahhahaahah

Hell no.
Anyone who says he is.......is a complete fool!
- Fakepartofme

please be respectful of our native resident.

please be respectful of our native resident.
- Symba007

i like to call him Chief Wahoo

Yup.

Leafs have Kessel, Lupul, and JVR locked up long term.

This is the worst time to try and compete. What we need to do is start another rebuild, so that we're ready to compete when their contracts are expiring/when they're over the hill.
- Feeling Glucky?

18-16 ya real competitive. I'm all for sensible moves but we arent talking about getting better here, we're talking about more money for whats already there.

Max length, not max $


7M is a good deal. It's barely a raise in NHL terms, and the team isn't tight on cap by any means.

He, Bolland and Riemer are the only important guys not signed beyond this season, and there's plenty of room to get them all, plus another top defender to play with Phaneuf, or at least help reduce the amount of time he needs to be on the ice.

Not keeping him is a massive, massive step backwards.
- Feeling Glucky?

You should look at the list of expiring contracts. It's way longer than your admitting. They have not near enough cap space to keep a barely make the playoffs and lose team together, why spend more to stay the same?

Speaking as a Buffalo fan, yes, please.

If you do not resign Phaneuf You are committing to a complete rebuild.

I am not saying that the present leafs are going to win anytime soon but committing to a rebuild is a hard decision to make. totronto avoided that for the entirety of the las colective bargaining agreement (2006-2011) even though anyone with an IQ above room temperature knew they were hopeless.

the curent leafs have the following good players
Kessel
JVR
Lupul
Phaneuf

the following young players with potential to be good
Rielly
Gardiner
Khadri

they have no great players nor do they appear to have any young players who may develop into greats

Greats in this context would be end of the year allstar players (kessel was the closest last year but thus far this year has regressed) or trophy finalists.

personally I think you need a lot of good players (10+) or 7+ and a great player to win.

the leafs have the good players but the great player eludes them. their last great player was Sundin and the corporate management style of MLSE never was able to build a team around him. before sundin was gilmour. before gilmour sittler/salming (close but horrifically hampered by Ballard - may he rot in hell!). before sittler/salming was Keon/mahavolich/horton/bower/sawchuk. that was the las winning team.

either sign phanny or trade everyone.

I actually think dion is underatted.. More valuable than most think. But I feel 7 million is way too much. It wont happen but 5.5 max for 5 years and Id be thrilled

After the disaster with Sundin, when Mats didn't give the fans what they were "owed". There is no way that the Typical Leaf fans will say anything other then trade him at the deadline for all he is worth.

Sundin was loved and he was torn apart by the rabid fans, I can't even begin to imagine what they will do to Alphaneuf.

You should look at the list of expiring contracts. It's way longer than your admitting. They have not near enough cap space to keep a barely make the playoffs and lose team together, why spend more to stay the same?
- aminnes

It may be a long list, but who do we need from it?

Let some of the secondary guys go, look for improvement from within or in UFA for those guys, but keep the big boys.

How many #1 dmen are available in UFA? How many will actually be cheaper and/or better than Phaneuf?

They should build on what they have, not let important pieces go without any clear way to replace them in the near, or even distant future.

Max Term? Yes.
Max Term at cap hit above $6M? No.
- jmatchett383

He's 35 no? Max term s 7 or 8 years so would you really offer a contract until he's 42-43?

If you do not resign Phaneuf You are committing to a complete rebuild.

I am not saying that the present leafs are going to win anytime soon but committing to a rebuild is a hard decision to make. totronto avoided that for the entirety of the las colective bargaining agreement (2006-2011) even though anyone with an IQ above room temperature knew they were hopeless.

the curent leafs have the following good players
Kessel
JVR
Lupul
Phaneuf

the following young players with potential to be good
Rielly
Gardiner
Khadri

they have no great players nor do they appear to have any young players who may develop into greats

Greats in this context would be end of the year allstar players (kessel was the closest last year but thus far this year has regressed) or trophy finalists.

personally I think you need a lot of good players (10+) or 7+ and a great player to win.

the leafs have the good players but the great player eludes them. their last great player was Sundin and the corporate management style of MLSE never was able to build a team around him. before sundin was gilmour. before gilmour sittler/salming (close but horrifically hampered by Ballard - may he rot in hell!). before sittler/salming was Keon/mahavolich/horton/bower/sawchuk. that was the las winning team.

either sign phanny or trade everyone.
- galahad

i'm not sure i agree with your argument. Phaneuf is solid but by no means is he irreplaceable. losing him doesn't mean you're committing to a full rebuild if you re-allocate those dollars wisely and make some shrewd acquisitions to re-build the defence outside of the 2 kids. i think in that sense, giving Phaneuf long term money is the easy decision but it's not necessarily the right one.

now please, before anyone says "like who?" in terms of replacing him, i don't know. but i'm sure Nonis and the Leafs have a contingency plan.

The rumour is 7 years at 7 million per year. Means his cap hit goes up by $500,000 a year, not exactly a deal breaker. Looking at the list of UFA's, there is NO-ONE available that can play at the level that Phaneuf plays. Sign him and then you start looking for another top guy to play along side of him.

It may be a long list, but who do we need from it?

Let some of the secondary guys go, look for improvement from within or in UFA for those guys, but keep the big boys.

How many #1 dmen are available in UFA? How many will actually be cheaper and/or better than Phaneuf?

They should build on what they have, not let important pieces go without any clear way to replace them in the near, or even distant future.
- Feeling Glucky?

their replacements?