Phaneuf signs 7-year deal with Leafs

At the end of the day, Dion Phaneuf wanted to remain a Maple Leaf. While the  Maple Leafs wanted Dion Phaneuf.

The 28 year-old Phaneuf is a polarizing figure and his deal has been the talk of the Toronto sports radio for days now (many callers feel it is too much money and too long a term), it’s a deal the Leafs had to make.

Let’s look at Phaneuf’s numbers compared to other high-priced defencemen in the NHL. Nashville’s Shea Weber has a cap hit of $7.8M, Minnesota’s Ryan Suter $7.5M, Brian Campbell of Florida, $7.1M, and L.A.’s Drew Doughty $7M.

Weber is 28 years old, Suter is 28, Campbell is 34, and  Doughty is 23

Next season Kris Letang’s new deal kicks in and he will have a $7.25M cap hit as he turns 27 years of age.  

Phaneuf was 11^th in average ice-time last season at 25:10 a game.  His 28 points last year had him tied with Shea Weber for 4^th most among blueliners. Only Doughty and Alex Pietrangelo had more shifts per game than Phaneuf last year.

Phaneuf has the 8^th most goals among NHL defenceman since the start of the 2009-2010 season. He’s had six seasons of 9 or more goals and 30 or more points.

He turns 29 in April, and while the statistics may not show it he is currently having his best season in Toronto.

He has simplified his game, isn’t taking silly penalties, while cutting down on glaring mistakes.

“That’s something I have learned and something over the course of my career I have learned I will admit that,” Phaneuf told Sportsnet television after the news conference. “When you push for too much offence you try and do too much. I feel my game is at a level I’m very comfortable with and I feel I am playing my best hockey. I feel good about where my game is at and I definitely have learned a lot over the years.”

He is continuing to log big minutes (24:21 per game on average – 24^th in the NHL) and is always matched up against the opposition’s top forward line.

He has matured while in Toronto and has embraced the role of being a captain.  He likes his teammates and wants to help the Leafs win a Stanley Cup.

"I really believe that we’re building something special," said Phaneuf. "I think that we’ve grown. Since the time that I’ve been here to now is night and day. It’s a very big decision and one that I’m very happy with."

Phaneuf knows he is leaving money on the table as this isn’t a great free agent class for blueliners.

“I want to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs and that’s why it was an easy decision for me not to go to free agency,” Phaneuf told Sportsnet.

With the signing of the captain, the Maple Leafs have locked up six players to long-term deals: Phaneuf, Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, David Clarkson, Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. That’s about $34 M a year locked up in this group.

The Leafs core is now set.  None of these guys are signed beyond their 35^th birthday. All these players are signed through at least 2017-2018.
So, Dave Nonis, are these the guys who will lead the Leafs to that elusive Stanley Cup?

"The core is always going to be somewhat moveable," Nonis said on Tuesday to Sportsnet.ca. "It’s not locked in stone for eight years that these guys are all going to be here. We signed them because we believe that they’re part of a winning team, that they can be part of something.”

Dion Phaneuf certainly hopes so.