[Signing] Phaneuf signs 7yr x $7mil contract extension

[Vinny01]

Leafs management has determined the core if their team will be Kessel, Phanuef, Clarkson, JVR, Lupul, Bozak as they are all locked up long term. JVR's was the only one not signed by Nonis and Clarkson is the only player not acquired by Burke

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

hmmmm.... this gets a bit painful to read for leaf fans (20 salary comparables for this contract):

http://www.capgeek.com/comparables/?...2&year_id=2014

He would have got the same money or more in free agency. Lets not forget as bad at that contract for Clarkson (much lesser player than Phaneuf) is the Oilers offered him more. I imagine the Oilers again or another few teams starved for defensive help would have offered Phaneuf more money.

[Wastedyouth]

Hilarious contract. Along with Clarkson and Bozak, the Leafs are in a hilarious contract position.

I enjoy this.

[Francis's Hairpiece]

Well that cements it. Dion believes they are building something special there. That speaks volumes, based on what we've been hearing about up north.

[Meers]

Yes, it's overpayment and for too long a term. But, another idiot GM probably would have paid more for Phaneuf as a UFA in the offseason.

So Nonis' choices weren't really ideal: (i) overpay; (ii) see what you get for Dion at the deadline (and trade/overpay to fill the hole on defence); (iii) let Dion walk as a UFA (and trade/overpay to fill the hole on defence).

So what does Subban get now?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by saillias

This is a relatively small raise... His caphit was 6.5 mil/year since 2008.

That contract was always a mistake. (And I said it when the Flames signed it, so this isn't a hindsight thing either.)

[Resolute 14]

Yeah. We all knew that contract was bad. Thanks Lowe!

[BigTuna]

Well worth 7 million. He's been an elite defensive D-Man this season.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

Hilarious contract. Along with Clarkson and Bozak, the Leafs are in a hilarious contract position.

I enjoy this.

Did I miss news the cap is going down?

The cap is going way up and the Leafs are filthy rich.

[DOOM]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

Did I miss news the cap is going down?

The cap is going way up and the Leafs are filthy rich.

Relative to other teams they wont have as much cap space to use though.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by strombad

And after all that time I spent saying he wasn't worth this kind of money, he goes and gets it anyway.

Where's BigTuna to rub my face in it? I probably deserve it.

Told ya

But seriously, this guy was going to get at least 7 million as a UFA. There's no one close to him on the market.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by FlamesAllTheWay

Has improved somewhat since he arrived in Toronto. They can also ill afford to lose him, as already mentioned. Still, one of the most overrated D in the league IMO.

He gets no compliments and is crapped on non-stop. How is that overrated?

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by trublmaker

anything leaf related is automatically overrated.

More like Leaf players get underrated. Every Leaf player is crap according to everyone.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

No, this is what happens when the Leafs give crap players Clarkson and Bozak the big bucks.

Bozak got 4.2 million. Hardly "Big Bucks" in today's NHl.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by FlamesAllTheWay

Well all I know is a group of his peers have him as the most overrated player in the league the past couple seasons. And I agree with them:

2013 - http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/97...-espn-magazine

2012 - http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=384805

For me, I think he's a good defenceman but not a number 1 guy worth the above rumoured contract. I just look at alot of other players with a similar role on their respective teams, like Chara, Kronwall, Karlsson, Doughty, Yandle, Ekman-Larsson, Pietrangelo, etc, and I'd take them all over Phaneuf. And they're all getting paid the same or less than this rumoured deal. Heck I'd probably even take Gio the way he's playing these days and on a worse team to boot. If we didn't pretty much already know how it would turn out I'd probably consider Bouwmeester as well.

I also don't think Phaneuf's numbers since arriving in Leaf country are anything special. Nor do I think he's capable of handling the role of a number 1 D on a regular basis as his weaknesses defensively get exposed. I get that the Leafs don't have anyone else on their roster to turn to but that they're still considering paying Phaeuf as a number 1 D for the next 7 years (I get the "C" also factors in somewhat) says to me they still view him as such regardless. Part of the reason why I would say he's overrated.

But I guess we'll see what his extension actually turns out to be as this is still just a rumour.

BTW, that 2013 poll asked only 30 NHL players. Dion only got 4 votes. Too small a sample size. I will go by the non0-stop crap he gets daily over 4 NHL players out of 600.

And BTW, I call B.S on Phaneuf's defensive "Weaknesses". His numbers are terrific this year.

You crap on Phaneuf's defense then say you'd take Karlsson over him?

[DOOM]

lol

"Must defend anything to do with the Leafs" - BigTuna

[BigTuna]

The funny thing is Letang can get 7.5 per and no one cares. Ever see that guy play defense? He's not a true #1.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

The funny thing is Letang can get 7.5 per and no one cares. Ever see that guy play defense? He's not a true #1.

Actually, Letang gets #### on all the time for his defensive play.

As for Dion's contract, it's bad. Leafs media can talk about how he would have got that much in free agency, but he wouldn't have.

[Red John]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

Well worth 7 million. He's been an elite defensive D-Man this season.

And there it is.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Red John

And there it is.

You think my comment is so hilarious and I'm such a homer, right? Look at the numbers. This guy is shutting down teams and star players night after night.

He's literally playing the toughest minutes of any player in the NHL.