Phaneuf is not going anywhere. He will be a Leaf for a long time. Great contract. Great Player. Great Captain. Oiler trolls don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Leafs have too much class to sign a guy for 7 years and $7 mill to trade him 8 days after it kicks in.
- 13LEAFS01

they might be. we will have to see where revenues go. and those contracts, massive as they are, are moveable. even the last years of those deals, both players will still be productive. so this isn't like they'll be 38-39 in those years. that said, i'm a bit surprised at the AAV. i would have expected them to take a bit less for the sake of keeping the core together.
- DoubleDown

Agreed. Would have thought maybe 9-9.75 AAV each, wasn't expecting 8 digit figures for these two.

I don't know, I give the edge to Bozak. He can do it all, ROR is one dimensional.
- hankthetank

i know what losers!! and they've only squeezed 2 Stanley Cups out of these guys so far!!!
- DoubleDown

2 Players don't win you the cup...... It is a team accomplishment and you need a good team. Hard to do it when you have 1/3 of your cap tied into 2 players. Next season they have 3 mill in cap space to sign 7 players. At least 3 will get raises. Runblad, Kruger and Saad. This team is in for a major blowup and they will be screwed just like the Pens sure they are a top team in the Reg season but come playoff time they are counting on 2 guys to carry the team

Whats your reasoning? Two Conn Smythe winners who have carried their team to two Stanley Cups.. arguably two of the top 3 players for their position in the league.
- YzermanIsTheMan

Toews has never scored more than 76 points in season. Chicago has won two Cups because they had great balance on their 3rd and 4th lines and on the defense. Per Capgeek next year they have just over 3.2M of salary cap left for and only 15 players signed. Even if you add let's say 3M to that total how are they going to keep Saad, Bickell, Shaw, Seabrook, Sharp, Hjalmarsson? They're not!

You said it. Now the two highest paid players in the league....
- RobFlyers#1

For how long? By the time these contracts are over how many guys will be making 10+ mil?

It's not like they are two hacks.

It wasn't that long ago that people laughed at Minny with parise and Suter. Is anyone complaining now?

Toews has never scored more than 76 points in season. Chicago has won two Cups because they had great balance on their 3rd and 4th lines and on the defense. Per Capgeek next year they have just over 3.2M of salary cap left for and only 15 players signed. Evenif you add let's say 3M to that total how are they going to keep Saad, Bickell, Shaw, Seabrook, Sharo, Hjalmarsson? They're not!
- stevens87

They'll lose a guy or two here and there, but they'll be able to put plugs into the lineup and still be successful. Not like they haven't done this before.

2 Players don't win you the cup...... It is a team accomplishment and you need a good team. Hard to do it when you have 1/3 of your cap tied into 2 players. Next season they have 3 mill in cap space to sign 7 players. At least 3 will get raises. Runblad, Kruger and Saad. This team is in for a major blowup and they will be screwed just like the Pens sure they are a top team in the Reg season but come playoff time they are counting on 2 guys to carry the team
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

they had to sign these guys. blame the players for being willing to potentially sabotage the cap but not the team. and like i said, those are moveable contracts. would not at all shock me to see Kane traded within the next 3 years if the cap increases only incrementally.

Whats your reasoning? Two Conn Smythe winners who have carried their team to two Stanley Cups.. arguably two of the top 3 players for their position in the league.
- YzermanIsTheMan

It takes more than two players to win the cup. The Blackhawks are a deep team with good support around those two guys not to mention having two top shutdown Defenceman in Keith and Seabrook. You may make a case for Toews due to the fact he's good at ever aspect of the game but I would not put Kane anywhere near the top 3 in the league.

For how long? By the time these contracts are over how many guys will be making 10+ mil?

It's not like they are two hacks.

It wasn't that long ago that people laughed at Minny with parise and Suter. Is anyone complaining now?
- Lahey

people were not laughing at Minny about the deals in the first years. it was the last third of the contract that were the issue.

Good luck retaining any young players. Especially Saad.

i know what losers!! and they've only squeezed 2 Stanley Cups out of these guys so far!!!
- DoubleDown

Had they beat LA- which was micro close these playoffs they would have won a 3rd cup...

Love how the Phaneuf trade poll was led by :
"Yes, trade him for whatever you can get" instead of the logical choices like "Yes for the right price" or "No keep him"....This tells you all you need to know about the majority of retarded hockey fans.

Good luck retaining any young players. Especially Saad.
- sycsam

Arent the blues terribly close to the cap and going to have to purge soon?

Crosby and Malkin made up 30% of the Pens salary at one time and they weren't screwed, so why is CHI going to be screwed when they've been more successful with their two guys?

Well, Chicago management is really hoping the cap goes up next year, and substantially...else they will have $3.2M to fill 8 UFA/RFA spots.

Crosby and Malkin made up 30% of the Pens salary at one time and they weren't screwed, so why is CHI going to be screwed when they've been more successful with their two guys?
- Lahey

This! Superstars need to be locked up and built around...

Toews has never scored more than 76 points in season. Chicago has won two Cups because they had great balance on their 3rd and 4th lines and on the defense. Per Capgeek next year they have just over 3.2M of salary cap left for and only 15 players signed. Even if you add let's say 3M to that total how are they going to keep Saad, Bickell, Shaw, Seabrook, Sharp, Hjalmarsson? They're not!
- stevens87

Bickell is what is (frank)ing them over at this current point. He won't be back either after this contract, and Sharp may be a good trade bait. That opens up 9 mil per year to help that out.

Toews doesn't need to score 100 points a season to be considered the a top 3 center in the league. He scores and steps up at the right times, is arguably the best two-way center at this current point, plays a ton of minutes, and is a hell of a leader. I don't see where you think he shouldn't be one of, if not, the top paid guy in the league? He does more for his team than Ovi does.

Statsny's deal looks like a steal now if this is what 20-30 goal scorers are getting paid now haha

Arent the blues terribly close to the cap and going to have to purge soon?
- saskoil21

No we are fine thank you for checking in on us.

This! Superstars need to be locked up and built around...
- saskoil21

No offense but Crosby and Malkin >>>>>> Kane and Toews.

Bickell is what is (frank)ing them over at this current point. He won't be back either after this contract, and Sharp may be a good trade bait. That opens up 9 mil per year to help that out.

Toews doesn't need to score 100 points a season to be considered the a top 3 center in the league. He scores and steps up at the right times, is arguably the best two-way center at this current point, plays a ton of minutes, and is a hell of a leader. I don't see where you think he shouldn't be one of, if not, the top paid guy in the league? He does more for his team than Ovi does.
- YzermanIsTheMan

Well said

It takes more than two players to win the cup. The Blackhawks are a deep team with good support around those two guys not to mention having two top shutdown Defenceman in Keith and Seabrook. You may make a case for Toews due to the fact he's good at ever aspect of the game but I would not put Kane anywhere near the top 3 in the league.
- RobFlyers#1

You wouldn't put Kane as a top 3 winger? I'd take the kid of Ovi, E. Kane, Gaborik, Hall, Krejci, etc..

If I'm Toronto, I offer Bozak, Phaneuf and 1st for ROR. They'd have to either eat money or absorb a contract from colorado too
- BodyCheckRadio

Glad you're not Toronto.
Offer all that AND eat money. Get outta here.

For how long? By the time these contracts are over how many guys will be making 10+ mil?

It's not like they are two hacks.

It wasn't that long ago that people laughed at Minny with parise and Suter. Is anyone complaining now?
- Lahey

I never said they were hacks. The point was about the fact when the cba comes up for renewal the salaries of players will have the owners complaining. I mean come on looking at Crosby's cap hit with Pittsburgh now .....what a deal the pens got there.