Exactly. If the asking price is Eberle, hang up the phone.
- Johannes19

Who is saying the leafs are after Eberle? we have two right wingers making a combined 13.25 mil per season. The Leafs are clearly after the 3rd overall.
Nonis will not trade Phaneuf for Gagner unless the 3rd is included.
He is not after Hall,Nuge,Eberle, Yakupov or whoever else oilers fans are joking they would have to give up.

If it were up to me I'd keep Dion, because he was pretty great for the first 65-70 games. And he was still a plus player on a bad team, while going against the likes of Crosby,Stamkos,Bergeron,Ovechkin etc night in and night out.

Dion will always add a physical component to the Oilers defense. Top pairing or not, he would replace Ference in a few years as their grit if that is true. However I think his best years are right a head of him. I am not a huge fan but I really don't think the Oil have any other option. They either trade the farm or take a silly contract.
- Hall Fan

I dont think most people realize Dion still has a solid 7-8 years left in him. The guy only just turned 29.

Oh fun.


Phaneuf talk

Oh fun.


Phaneuf talk
- robin_steele264

Is it not 5:30am sunday morning for you?...... go back to bed, maybe the Phaneuf talk will be over when you get back up......

Oh wait......

There is a leafs logo on this blog..... so no it won't, sorry about your luck...

add in about 3 more mediocre pieces and ull have us.
quantity over quality!!!
- hugefemale dog77

Glad we have armchair GMs with such intelligent screen names helping make these calls and contributing to the conversation.

Oh fun.


Phaneuf talk
- robin_steele264

I think both Oiler fans and Leaf fans need to battle harder. This deal is going down without a doubt, and people will regret not wasting their time and energy on this debate. Remember all the Canuck and Leaf fans who fought hard over the Luongo rumours....fan opinion played a big part when the two teams finally made the trade.

I don't care what fans thing all GMs around the league have a different opinion on him than the fans so who cares what the fans think.

I think both Oiler fans and Leaf fans need to battle harder. This deal is going down without a doubt, and people will regret not wasting their time and energy on this debate. Remember all the Canuck and Leaf fans who fought hard over the Luongo rumours....fan opinion played a big part when the two teams finally made the trade.
- systemtool

It's true. We need to dig in here.



Id like to see a list of Dmen who are better than Phaneuf before I can make a reasonable judgement however.


Why has no one done this yet?

683 comments on an Ek blog? Geez I wonder what the subject material involves...
Bread and butter day

It's true. We need to dig in here.



Id like to see a list of Dmen who are better than Phaneuf before I can make a reasonable judgement however.


Why has no one done this yet?
- robin_steele264

Because there is no defensmen better than him that's available this offseason.

What will the Oil give up? I may be the only Leaf fan who thinks Phanuef is a good D but has no to play with, so I hate him gone for nothing. A 20+ min a game guy who plays against top players is tough to replace. I think we need Eberle back or the 3rd overall pick. Even if we have to include other picks/players with Dion. I just hope their is a plan to replace him, cuz making Reilly our best D now is not something I look forward to as a Leaf fan
- scottiegee

Anybody can play 20+ min against other top lines...the key is to find someone good at it. Removing his huge albatross of a contract will open up tons of options to replace him...remember, last year was his best year as a Leaf and it wasn't pretty.

It's true. We need to dig in here.



Id like to see a list of Dmen who are better than Phaneuf before I can make a reasonable judgement however.


Why has no one done this yet?
- robin_steele264

Noone has time to write that novel...but feel free to give it a shot.

Noone has time to write that novel...but feel free to give it a shot.
- TincupCanuck

I like your style

Because there is no defensmen better than him that's available this offseason.
- JVR_42_PK81

try thinking outside the box. There is a former Norris winner who is a local lad that just so happens to be an RFA. Wont happen, but to say there is noone better overrates Dion and underrates guys who actually get their teams to the playoffs

It's true. We need to dig in here.



Id like to see a list of Dmen who are better than Phaneuf before I can make a reasonable judgement however.


Why has no one done this yet?
- robin_steele264

A list is paramount.

Just randomly name guys and fight over them. I think it's also imperative that each side throw out a line up of crap players they don't want and demand something good in return.

Im going to walk over to No Frills and see if I can get some cookies for my used up water bottles and roll of weekly flyers.

try thinking outside the box. There is a former Norris winner who is a local lad that just so happens to be an RFA. Wont happen, but to say there is noone better overrates Dion and underrates guys who actually get their teams to the playoffs
- TincupCanuck

Oh so one player gets there team to the playoffs? So I guess Matt Greene is better than karlsonn, Phaneuf, weber, girardono, yandle, EkmanLarsonn. Your clueless.

Subban is not available? Montreal is not looking to trade him at all. They want to sign him and Subban wants to sign with them. But I guess with your logic that means he is available.

Anybody can play 20+ min against other top lines...the key is to find someone good at it. Removing his huge albatross of a contract will open up tons of options to replace him...remember, last year was his best year as a Leaf and it wasn't pretty.
- TincupCanuck

so his 8 goal, 31 point full season was better than his 9 goal, 28 point lockout season?

try thinking outside the box. There is a former Norris winner who is a local lad that just so happens to be an RFA. Wont happen, but to say there is noone better overrates Dion and underrates guys who actually get their teams to the playoffs
- TincupCanuck

"Available" is a pretty key part of his point.

Dions contract makes him cheaper in a trade. Getting anybody better will cost the oil much more.
And no team is looking to trade anybody better than Dion.

so his 8 goal, 31 point full season was better than his 9 goal, 28 point lockout season?


- GardinerExpress

Youre not going to win here man,the Dion hate is extreme and the exaggerations are actually pathetic!!They think hes Jeff Finger here.

I would rather keep him and get him a proper partner.

A list is paramount.

Just randomly name guys and fight over them. I think it's also imperative that each side throw out a line up of crap players they don't want and demand something good in return.

Im going to walk over to No Frills and see if I can get some cookies for my used up water bottles and roll of weekly flyers.
- systemtool

Youre not going to win here man,the Dion hate is extreme and the exaggerations are actually pathetic!!They think hes Jeff Finger here.

I would rather keep him and get him a proper partner.
- nbboy

my entire issue is whether there is such a proper partner...

my entire issue is whether there is such a proper partner...
- jimi james

I think a Canuck fan said it best yesterday..Hamhuis..

Not sure we will ever land someone for him though and thats why alot of his mistakes are magnified.

Its ridiculous to think that a team that had good goaltending all year and gave up 20 plus more goals than any of the playoff teams would even consider giving up their best defenseman. The only way Phaneuf would get traded to Edmonton would be if Toronto was keeping some of the salary. There is no way they would be bringing him in as the highest paid player and upsetting their salary structure. Former Flames are never well received in Oil Country either. When the Leaf's panicked and gave Phaneuf a contract comparable to Drew Doughty, they totally diminished his trade value. But to play along, Phaneuf plus Clarkson to Edmonton for Gagner and the Oilers use their last compliance buyout on Clarkson to rid the Leafs of a horrendous contract.

Its ridiculous to think that a team that had good goaltending all year and gave up 20 plus more goals than any of the playoff teams would even consider giving up their best defenseman. The only way Phaneuf would get traded to Edmonton would be if Toronto was keeping some of the salary. There is no way they would be bringing him in as the highest paid player and upsetting their salary structure. Former Flames are never well received in Oil Country either. When the Leaf's panicked and gave Phaneuf a contract comparable to Drew Doughty, they totally diminished his trade value. But to play along, Phaneuf plus Clarkson to Edmonton for Gagner and the Oilers use their last compliance buyout on Clarkson to rid the Leafs of a horrendous contract.
- Woowy

geezus

Its ridiculous to think that a team that had good goaltending all year and gave up 20 plus more goals than any of the playoff teams would even consider giving up their best defenseman. The only way Phaneuf would get traded to Edmonton would be if Toronto was keeping some of the salary. There is no way they would be bringing him in as the highest paid player and upsetting their salary structure. Former Flames are never well received in Oil Country either. When the Leaf's panicked and gave Phaneuf a contract comparable to Drew Doughty, they totally diminished his trade value. But to play along, Phaneuf plus Clarkson to Edmonton for Gagner and the Oilers use their last compliance buyout on Clarkson to rid the Leafs of a horrendous contract.
- Woowy

Is that allowed?