Dion Phaneuf, most recent captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was traded to the Ottawa Senators Tuesday in a nine-player deal. Joining him in a northward movement up Ontario will be Matt Frattin, Casey Bailey, Ryan Rupert, and Cody Donaghey – mostly all minor leaguers with limited NHL experience. Of the group, none are considered high-ceiling prospects, though Rupert and Donaghey are young enough where they can still develop into useful NHLers.
In return the Maple Leafs will receive Jared Cowen, Colin Greening, Milan Michalek, and Tobias Lindberg, as well as a second-round draft pick in next summer’s draft. Michalek is an established player, but hasn’t been healthy and is likely past his peak.
Cowen is an expensive draft bust that will likely be released after this season. Greening experienced some success in the NHL, but it was five years ago now and his development seems stunted. Lindberg is a fairly well regarded prospect, but is just 19 and still a few years away from seeing any real NHL time.
From Ottawa’s point of view, they will receive an established NHL defenseman, a move they felt they had to make due to having one of the worst defenses in the NHL. Phaneuf, however, is past his prime and is not a shut-down defenseman at this stage in his career. That’s not to say he’s a bum, as he will certainly help out Ottawa’s blueline, but if he sees the toughest on-ice matchups he will be exposed.
Toronto’s angle in this trade is simple: clear long term salary off the books to aid in the rebuild. Phaneuf is signed through 2021 and carries a $7M cap hit – no small number for a 30 year old defenseman. Ottawa will pick up all of the salary, and though Toronto took some salary back, no contracts extend beyond 2016.
Fantasy Fallout
Expectations should be tempered for Dion Phaneuf because he is likely going to be asked to matchup against opposing top lines. Phaneuf has been exposed as a liability in that role, and this year he found his groove playing as a second pairing defenseman.
If he skates with Erik Karlsson, Phaneuf will likely absorb a more defensive role which allows Karlsson to move up ice more. Phaneuf should benefit from this pairing, though the offense will clearly still funnel through Karlsson. The top six forward group is better in Ottawa, so assists are still in play after Phaneuf gets the puck deep into the enemy territory.
One thing to consider in this move is the trickled down impact on thesecondary defensemen in Ottawa. Players like Marc Methot (Karlsson’s current defensive partner) will see easier minutes should Phaneuf play with Karlsson. Cody Ceci and Chris Wideman are also names to keep in mind in deeper leagues.
Way Too Early Trade Judgement
Though the trade helps both teams accomplish their goals in some way, the winner has to be considered Toronto for right now. They were able to move long-term salary without retaining any in return, which will come in very handy as they rebuild, lockup draft picks, and add key free agents (Steven Stamkos should expect a Brinks truck on July 1) over the next few years.
Ottawa gets a defenseman they sorely need, but it’s a lot of salary for a long term for a small market team. The Senators have some young talent of their own (Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone) that will need new contracts during Phaneuf’s tenure, so they have some work to do down the road.