Ron Wilson expects Phaneuf to be the Captain next season

Ron Wilson was just on Hockeycentral @ Noon indicating he expects Dion Phaneuf to be the Captain next season. Short of them bringing in a bona-fide Captain in the off season, is there anyone else that could wear the "C" for the Leafs?

This is thread worthy?

wprager wrote:This is thread worthy?

Your Sens bias precedes you...

shabbs wrote:

wprager wrote:This is thread worthy?

Your Sens bias precedes you...

I think either Beauchemin or Phaneuf are captain material. Either are visible in the community and outspoken in the dressing room. Neither suffer from a lack of work ethic.

So next year he can be the most overrated captain AND player in the NHL

Hoags wrote:So next year he can be the most overrated captain AND player in the NHL

The Phil Kessel may well have set the team back more than five years. You make that kind of trade with first rounders to put the finishing touches on a lineup that already competes regularly for the Cup. You don't throw all your eggs into one basket and hope to hell that it works out.

PKC wrote:

Hoags wrote:So next year he can be the most overrated captain AND player in the NHL

The Phil Kessel may well have set the team back more than five years. You make that kind of trade with first rounders to put the finishing touches on a lineup that already competes regularly for the Cup. You don't throw all your eggs into one basket and hope to hell that it works out.

I'm sure there's more to it than that. Only we can't possibly understand the brilliance of The Genius.

PKC wrote:

Hoags wrote:So next year he can be the most overrated captain AND player in the NHL

The Phil Kessel may well have set the team back more than five years. You make that kind of trade with first rounders to put the finishing touches on a lineup that already competes regularly for the Cup. You don't throw all your eggs into one basket and hope to hell that it works out.

Actually I kind of disagree with that point. If you regularily compete for a cup or deep playoff result, you don't need to pull the trigger on a deal of that size, as you should already have the guns.

A team that has sucked like the Leafs have in the last 5 years makes a big deal like that to a/make a splash and b/ acquire a marquee player, like Kessell. Kessell is very good, he'll only get better. That's why you pay a heavy ticket like Burke did. He wanted to make a statement.

Now he just needs to find a center to compliment Kessell. That may prove more difficult than he imagines. Now if the new powers in Tampa are looking to save 7.7 million in cap space, you could see Lecavalier a Leaf....that that would be potent as hell

PKC wrote:

The Phil Kessel may well have set the team back more than five years. You make that kind of trade with first rounders to put the finishing touches on a lineup that already competes regularly for the Cup. You don't throw all your eggs into one basket and hope to hell that it works out.

Well I believe the thinking was they were a playoff team so they wouldn't need the 1st-rounders since they'd finish in the top half of the standings.

Not to mention I don't think Kessel is a franchise-type player either and yet Toronto just gave a potential one to Boston this year.

Why is Burke seen as such a hockey genius again ? You'd think an NHL GM would know if he had a playoff team on his salary or not. That's a mistake of Mike Milbury proportions.

so this is kinda of an hint that kaberle may not be coming back or else he would be captain.

The joke that is the Toronto Maple Leafs will surely continue!

beedub wrote:
Now he just needs to find a center to compliment Kessell. That may prove more difficult than he imagines. Now if the new powers in Tampa are looking to save 7.7 million in cap space, you could see Lecavalier a Leaf....that that would be potent as hell

They're closing in on the cap with contracts to sign for next year, they have no money at all. Maybe if they waive Finger (which is a lot of $$ waive), trade Kaberle (their D will take a massive hit if they do), trade Grabovski, potentially then they'd have enough to make a move, but if they get another big ticket like Vinny, they'll be in cap hell soon.

Hoags wrote:
Well I believe the thinking was they were a playoff team so they wouldn't need the 1st-rounders since they'd finish in the top half of the standings.

That's true, I remember being one of the guys who thought the pick would end up being around 18th or 19th and that it probably wasn't as bad as it looked.

We'll see with tonight's lottery. This could end up being devastating.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Hoags wrote:
Well I believe the thinking was they were a playoff team so they wouldn't need the 1st-rounders since they'd finish in the top half of the standings.

That's true, I remember being one of the guys who thought the pick would end up being around 18th or 19th and that it probably wasn't as bad as it looked.

We'll see with tonight's lottery. This could end up being devastating.

If next year's pick ends up being a lottery pick then that is a disaster... Tonigth is a downer for sure but Kessel is still one hell of a shooter! Still would have never done the deal but im not Burke!

Didn't mind the Kessel deal at first either. In retrospect, as a rebuilding team, you never give up a first rounder, let alone two of them. They could have drafted a player just as good (who will be better) in Hall or Seguin and have them at a much more manageable contract for the foreseeable future.