Does Phaneuf Change Northeast Dynamic?

In a word; no.  Not this year; probably not next year either.  The Maple Leafs are in full-on firesale mode; moving 3 pending UFA’s to Calgary, 1 to Anaheim, shedding 2 expensive contracts, all the while taking on an overrated, yet still promising blueliner, and a number 1 goalie they desperately need.

But if we’ve learned anything about the nature of rebuilding in the NHL over the past decade, is that teams that struggle so mightily can’t just right the ship with a couple moves and free agent signings.  Take for example the models of rebuilding, the Penguins and Capitals.  Look at where these guys have chosen, and who they’ve chosen, during their ascension to the elite in the league.

Of that list, only 2 have yet to make an impact in the NHL (Pokulak – ECHL, Finley played 4 years at North Dakota, this is his first professional season), while the rest are littered with Art Ross’s, Rocket Richard’s, Selke and Norris nominees, you get the picture. Now how is this relevant to the Leafs?

Well these teams built their powerhouses through the draft, the Leafs, they need draft picks. In a move that landed them a sniper (but where’s the playmaking center?) in Phil Kessel, the Leafs moved their 1st and 2nd this year, and their 1st next season.

In giving away 3 major picks, Brian Burke has essentially retarded their rebuild in Toronto. Now that’s not to say they don’t have prospects in the bank; Kadri, Bozak, Hanson, etc. But with so much money now tied into the blueline (look for Finger to be sent to the Marlies, getting that contract off the books), that’ll be $25.25 million, tied up into 5 guys on your blueline.

That leaves the current top line for your Toronto Maple Leafs as Alex Ponikarovsky and Phil Kessel centered by…Tyler Bozak? This isn’t over for the Leafs, far from it, as Poni, Grabovski, Kaberle, and others are still being rumored to be traded. But for Leafs fans sake, I hope that they can get a 1st for Kaberle, otherwise, it’s going to be a long couple of years.

So what’s this mean for the Sabres? Well first off, the addition of Phaneuf means the forwards will have to start skating with their head up at all times, here’s looking at you Tim Connolly. Plus I think even Mair or Montador could win a bout with Neon Dion.

Now the addition of Giguere could be a different story, with a Conn Smythe under his belt, but a bad attitude that comes with it, how will this new dynamic of Gustavsson and Giggy come to play out? We all saw how Giguere was upset with splitting time with Hiller out in Anaheim, how is he going to react splitting with The Monster?

Time will tell, and the dynamic of this team is certainly going to change once again before the Olympic break? Perhaps this post was a tad too soon, but as Brian Burke said, they are still open for business.

Tags: Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Dion Phaneuf, Toronto Maple Leafs