Quote:
Originally Posted by gelinator
Honestly Phaneuf wouldn't be a bad pickup. He could put some depth on the blue line and hype up the boys. Realistically, at this point in the season we need some seasoned veterans to lead the boys and get us into the playoffs.
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I actually think Phaneuf is a rather terrible idea, but I can understand why the suggestion came up and it 'sort of' makes sense.
I think it is a terrible idea for two reasons:
1) He hasn't played in a very long time, and is most definitely not in game shape and his timing is probably off as well. Is there enough runway left in the season to get him there before the season starts? Can the Flames afford to play him enough to get them there when these games count so much?
2) Even when he was in his prime, he remained unimpressive in his own end. That's where the Flames look like they need help - guys are seemingly losing their assignments and making poor decisions leading to the most succulent of chances to score for their opponents - routinely. I don't think Phaneuf helps fill that hole, even slightly.
Yes, he is familiar with Calgary (the city, but aside from Giordano and Backlund, not the players or the system), and he would be a free acquisition, but I actually believe dressing him between now and when he is 'up to speed' is a worse option than dressing Davidson (who has been steady, IMO) and Yelesin (2 games, but looked ok). After he is up to speed, I am actually not confident that he would be an improvement over Davidson or Yelesin. He has just dropped off a cliff, and I am not sure he can climb back even half-way any longer.