Quote:
Originally Posted by moon
I just am wondering who is overrating him now? If he is so overrated who is it that is overrating him, because it isn't the Canadian media, isn't Canadian fans and I haven't seen/heard him plastered all over ESPN either.
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I would say the Leafs organization consistently overrates him. By naming him Captain early on, generally treating him as a number 1 franchise defenceman even though he's shown he is not, and now by this new rumoured deal. I believe 7 million/season over 7 years would put him amongst the top 10 highest paid D in the league. Has he really done that much in Toronto to warrant being the cornerstone of the franchise for the next 7 years? Is he even a top 10 D? 20?
Toronto gave him the reigns and awhile back when it looked like he might turn into a franchise calibre D. To date he's been good, but not anything spectacular. The Leafs as a whole have one first round playoff exit to show for it, in which Phaneuf was probably average at best. Maybe things will change but as of now there's really now reason to think they will. And yet the organization still wants to make him the centrepiece of the team going forward.
His best days are still his first few seasons in Calgary when he was a top 4 D man and teams were still figuring him out. Yet I think amongst some the perception that he's a 50 pt, 15 goal, plus player still lingers. His game regressed once he became "the guy" IMO.