PHANEUF!

Brian Burke, you son of a bitch. Just as I was getting sad and depressed about this team, you make a huge move and get me interested again. What a way to wake up on Sunday, eh?

So, now Dion Phaneuf is a Toronto Maple Leaf. This is a player who can change a game, much like Phil Kessel. Phaneuf brings the hammer; he can change the momentum with a single hit. Oh, and he can do it on a regular basis. Unlike Exelby though, Dion also has the offensive tools to score goals and assists. The Toronto Sun calls him a "stud". I am going to call him a two-way player. He can play up to 30 minutes a night, shut down the best the other team has to offer, and produce offence.

Dion has had a rough year though. Once, he was a lock for the Canadian Olympic team and was a Norris Trophy candidate. He has struggled and found himself to be expendable. Why is that?

I think it is easy to see why Dion has struggled. Phaneuf is a bit of a rover - he likes to pinch and play offence, and he also likes to take risks and throw the body. Under Brent Sutter, he has been reigned in and it has affected his ability to produce. Also, the signing of Jay Bouwmeester has taken minutes from Dion. A team only needs one "elite" defenceman, and when Calgary brought in Bouwmeester, it became a case of too many hens in the hen house. Bouwmeester has not played too well in Calgary, either.

I don't think we will see the full effect of having Dion until next year.

I will miss Hagman. He was a creative player and he was locked into a sensible contract. White and his moustache will be missed as well. I had thought of Stajan as a Leaf for life for some reason. Mayers...well, I got nothing for him. Still, it was the cost of doing business. Outside of Mayers, all three players can add something to a team - but they are replaceable. A player like Phaneuf is harder to find.

I want to see Phaneuf and Komisarek as a pair. I think they both play solid defence, and Komisarek's steady play can set Phaneuf free to jump into a play or throw a big hit.

Does this move make Kaberle expendable? Will Phaneuf regain his All-Star form with the Leafs? These questions can only be answered by time.

The "C"

One month in to the 2009/10 campaign, and the Toronto Maple Leafs do not have a captain. Francois Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek and Tomas Kaberle all wear the "A" on their chest and that makes them front runners to inherit the captaincy. That does not mean they will become the next captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, however.

Mike Komisarek has definitley improved his level of play from the first weeks of the season. He has become a steady, reliable defensive partner for Tomas Kaberle and has thrown several huge hits. His hit on Montreal's Glen Metropolit is an example of how Komisarek has improved as the season has gone on.

Francois Beauchemin seems to still be adjusting to playing with his new team. He does not have Scott Niedermayer next to him and is just now rounding into form. I think he is a good addition to the team, but I do not believe he is a leader who can make others step up when the game gets difficult.

Kaberle has exploded offensively in the last few games and now has 2 goals and 18 points to lead the Maple Leafs. His impact on the powerplay is huge, and with Kessel and Stempniak each sitting on the wings waiting to unleash one-timers, Kaberle has more time and more open ice to work with. However, I would not make him the captain of the hockey club. He is the longest serving Leaf, but I do not think he enjoys being in the spotlight. This could be seen last year when, surrounded by trade rumours and being constantly hounded by the media, his play fell off. Even with his impact on the team, I do not believe Kaberle is the captain the Leafs need.

So, it sounds like Mike Komisarek should be the next captain, right?

It might sound like that is what I am saying, but I am not. The captain of your hockey team needs to be a fighter. He cannot be afraid to fight for his position and battle every game. He also needs to lead by example, whether he can help his team offensively or defensively. I think Mike Komisarek fits this criteria, but I think someone else fits and has done more and battled more.

If it was my choice, I would make Ian White the captain and leader of the Toronto Maple Leafs - and not just because of his wicked facial hair.

Last season, Ian White started the season as a healthy scratch. He managed to fight his way onto the team and since then has been a stalwart on the Leafs blueline. His tenacity and ability shows in his stats. White scored 10 goals and led the team with a +6 rating despite missing 11 games. What he lacks in physical size he makes up in his willingness to battle. It seems like White never takes a shift off, and that is the kind of example you want your captain to set.

This season, White is one of only 4 Maple Leafs without a negative +/- rating and even when the team was playing poorly in October, Ian White was putting in a competitive effort each night. He has 3 goals and 9 points this season while recieving minimal powerplay time. His play in his own end has been very good and he has helped ease the burden of generating offence from the forwards.

I believe Ian White should wear the "C". All that is needed is a contract extension for Mr. White.