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Phaneuf to Oilers (fair warning - it's Eklund)

Nik the Trik said:
Opinions vary as to the quality of his defense/decision making.
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I get that, but overall, considering the minutes he logs against the competition he does, it just feels like there shouldn't be so many haters is all. I also think he's maturing and improving a lot of those flaws also. I think he's overcome a lot of adversity since Calgary and to do it in Toronto of all places, while being the captain, I think he deserves better. It doesn't matter I guess.

You don't think the hate has more to do with just his game and cap hit?
 
I just don't think he is a good captain. I think of him more as a good defenceman, not a great one.

This is just the way I feel, I can't really explain it. It could be that I am spoiled having had the privilege of watching Mats all those years.
 
Maybe it's self-confidence, but the way Phaneuf acts sometimes rubs me as arrogant and egotistical.  It's to the point where I wonder if he's always doing what the coaches tell him to.  It looks like he's going for selfish, gambling offense when the team should be protecting a lead.  Was impressed he took some responsibility in the playoffs.  I would like to see less offense, stronger defense, more hitting from the guy.
 
moon111 said:
Maybe it's self-confidence, but the way Phaneuf acts sometimes rubs me as arrogant and egotistical.  It's to the point where I wonder if he's always doing what the coaches tell him to.  It looks like he's going for selfish, gambling offense when the team should be protecting a lead.  Was impressed he took some responsibility in the playoffs.  I would like to see less offense, stronger defense, more hitting from the guy.
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I think he calmed down quite a bit on the defensive side of things. You have to understand that the hitting you want more of from him, will probably put him out of position, to which you also want less of that from him. I think the Leafs coaches told him to hit less, or at least big hits, which take him out of the play a bit more. I see the maturity anyway, since he's been in Toronto.
 
Someone in my office just told me that there were Phaneuf to NJ rumours. He did not know where they came from (usuallu a sign of things not to come). I went looking here there and everywhere and under a rock I found that Eklund now says he is going to NJ.
 
Michael said:
Someone in my office just told me that there were Phaneuf to NJ rumours. He did not know where they came from (usuallu a sign of things not to come). I went looking here there and everywhere and under a rock I found that Eklund now says he is going to NJ.
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For Kovalchuk?
 
Michael said:
Someone in my office just told me that there were Phaneuf to NJ rumours. He did not know where they came from (usuallu a sign of things not to come). I went looking here there and everywhere and under a rock I found that Eklund now says he is going to NJ.
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Yeah for who? 
 
Zee said:
Michael said:
Someone in my office just told me that there were Phaneuf to NJ rumours. He did not know where they came from (usuallu a sign of things not to come). I went looking here there and everywhere and under a rock I found that Eklund now says he is going to NJ.
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Yeah for who?
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I can't remember his first name, but I think he was voted to the 1st AND 2nd All-Star team one year.
 
Re spoiled by Matts. Matts was never a defeceman. IMO while Phaneuf is not a Scott Stevens he is a top flight defenceman. He plays extra minutes against the other teams best offensive forwards. If they were to trade him they would need to get top flight defenceman back. If however the leafs were to get another defenceman to play with Phaneuf and take some of his minutes Phaneuf would be even more effective. Plus rumour was started by someone with no connection to leafs and it was only a commentators own idea. He has no connection to either Leafs, Oilers or Devils for that matter.
 
Hampreacher said:
Re spoiled by Matts. Matts was never a defeceman. IMO while Phaneuf is not a Scott Stevens he is a top flight defenceman. He plays extra minutes against the other teams best offensive forwards. If they were to trade him they would need to get top flight defenceman back. If however the leafs were to get another defenceman to play with Phaneuf and take some of his minutes Phaneuf would be even more effective. Plus rumour was started by someone with no connection to leafs and it was only a commentators own idea. He has no connection to either Leafs, Oilers or Devils for that matter.
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The comparison to Mats was about the captiancy, not position, which I agree, we were all spoiled for years of having a Captain that always put his team on his back and carried them, its harder for a defenseman to do so, since they don't score as much and usually people view players that score a ton as carrying a team vs a defenseman playing defesne.
 
It took a long time for the general masses to accept Sundin as captain.  He spent years under the comparison to Gilmour and Clark before him, being criticized as not being "loud" or looking like he wasn't trying that hard out there. There were 2 non-playoff seasons with him as captain where he took a lot of heat.  It seems to be forgotten that it wasn't really until the Leafs became a contender in the East in the early 00's that he started to be looked at as one of the great ones.

I think Phaneuf is in a similar boat in a lot of ways. I don't think he can be the same "great" player Sundin was (aka: Hall of Fame caliber) but as the leader of the team I think it will take a body of work in the post season before he can be recognized as a solid captain.
 
i've read this same rumor on other forums as well.  bottom line here is that if Nonis is seriously toying with the idea of trading Phaneuff, then he better have a big minute defenceman coming back in return (who in Edmonton fits that bill?), or have another deal lined up that brings one in.  because if you don't replace the minutes that Dion takes, then who on the current roster replaces that?  Gunnarsson.....Gardiner.....Liles?  i don't think so.....
 
The_Gipper said:
i've read this same rumor on other forums as well.  bottom line here is that if Nonis is seriously toying with the idea of trading Phaneuff, then he better have a big minute defenceman coming back in return (who in Edmonton fits that bill?), or have another deal lined up that brings one in.  because if you don't replace the minutes that Dion takes, then who on the current roster replaces that?  Gunnarsson.....Gardiner.....Liles?  i don't think so.....
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Realistically you'd replace it by spreading out the added time among the defensemen remaining, not giving it all to one guy.
 
Nik the Trik said:
The_Gipper said:
i've read this same rumor on other forums as well.  bottom line here is that if Nonis is seriously toying with the idea of trading Phaneuff, then he better have a big minute defenceman coming back in return (who in Edmonton fits that bill?), or have another deal lined up that brings one in.  because if you don't replace the minutes that Dion takes, then who on the current roster replaces that?  Gunnarsson.....Gardiner.....Liles?  i don't think so.....
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Realistically you'd replace it by spreading out the added time among the defensemen remaining, not giving it all to one guy.
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Which should make haters wonder why they haven't been doing that with Phaneuf in the lineup if he's minutes aren't so good.
 
Nik the Trik said:
Realistically you'd replace it by spreading out the added time among the defensemen remaining, not giving it all to one guy.
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so when the oppositions top line is on the ice for 20-25 mins a game, you're suggesting that we defend them with a different pairing each time?
 
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