33 replies to this topic

[T.Low]

I don't know about you guys, but all I ever heard about Dion Phanuef was how great he was. Nobody ever said anything negative...until they realized that Steve Yzerman left Dion off Team Canada.

THIS IS NOT A THREAD ON WHETHER PHANUEF IS GREAT OR NOT, ITS ABOUT WHAT THE MEDIA HAS SAID ABOUT HIM.

Then, and only then, did I hear any negative critiques about him at all. And it began right after Team Canada was announced, with a segment on HNIC where they were showing how slow he thinks the game. He didn't react properly to the play, or had put himself in the wrong position.

Did anybody else notice this lack of criticism until Stevie Y didn't pick him?


2nd question:

He is the same age as Jonathan Ericcson, but was drafted a year later, and rookied much earlier in 2005. If he were drafted by the Wings, because the Wings like to develop their prospects down on the farm more than other teams, especially the Dmen, would this (2010) be his rookie season?


Personally, I just think the guy is a slow thinker. I've heard him in interviews on Vancouver's Team 1040, and it's downright painful to listen to that guy answer questions.

Edited by T.Low, 01 February 2010 - 08:20 PM.

[Lidstromboli]

people have been criticizing for awhile.. it didn't just start in the past couple months.

Edited by Lidstromboli, 01 February 2010 - 08:23 PM.

[mindfly]

He came in the league as a rookie scored 20goals as a D, became a bit of a 2.20 player (played 2 years in the league but acted like if he had played 20).. He's a bit of a ****** tbh.

Edited by mindfly, 01 February 2010 - 08:34 PM.

[zackmorris]

In Calgary it's been uttered that he's overrated long before the Canada snub. I've heard it before just generally across the internet that he's pretty bleh, seeing as how alot of people predicting Canada's roster left him off the list.

It didn't just start now, it just got popular now with the trade.

[RedWings Gone Wild]

This would not be Phanuef's rookie season, like Ericsson, because as I've pointed out many times, Ericsson = last pick overall. It took Ericsson a lot longer to develop because he wasn't bred for this league and he simply didn't have the raw talent, size, potential, and years of North American play like Dion.

As far as there being no criticism about Phanuef's game prior to Yzerman's decision? Very few pundits were anticipating Phanuef's inclusion. I doubt Phanuef's mother would vote him onto the team. I didn't even know Yzerman's decision was ever controversial. Green and Bouwmeester were ahead of Phanuef and they didn't make the cut either.

[T.Low]

All I heard out west was that it was a given that he'd make the team. Hell, he's even on the Nike Team Canada- Team of Destiny commercial. Ooops.

[zackmorris]

Where did this insane comparing of Phaneuf to Ericsson come from? People by instinct draw comparisons to similar things but what's similar? Age? Position? Because that's all. One was a Canadian junior star built to play at a young age. The other was a forward selected dead last who was turned into a defender and played in the AHL for many years. One is paid 6 million and has gotten worse, the other gets paid under a million and is still developing. The comparison is illogical and pointless.

Edited by zackmorris, 01 February 2010 - 08:57 PM.

[T.Low]

Where did this insane comparing of Phaneuf to Ericsson come from? People by instinct draw comparisons to similar things but what's similar? Age? Position? Because that's all. One was a Canadian junior star built to play at a young age. The other was a forward selected dead last who was turned into a defender and played in the AHL for many years. The comparison is illogical and pointless.

Just to show they are the same age, beccause it seems Phanuef has been around for a long time already, but heck, he's only 24, which for a defensemen is rather young.

SO can you just rip on my use of Ericcson or can you offer up a year in which you think Detroit hypothetically may have brought him up from GR?

In the long run, how would each path affect his overall career?


Edit: I frequent a few discussion forums regarding 4wheeling, motorcycling, mountain biking, and white water paddling, but this one is by far the most disrespectful.

Edited by T.Low, 01 February 2010 - 09:04 PM.

[Chairman Maouth]

I don't know about you guys, but all I ever heard about Dion Phanuef was how great he was. Nobody ever said anything negative...until they realized that Steve Yzerman left Dion off Team Canada.

THIS IS NOT A THREAD ON WHETHER PHANUEF IS GREAT OR NOT, ITS ABOUT WHAT THE MEDIA HAS SAID ABOUT HIM.

Then, and only then, did I hear any negative critiques about him at all. And it began right after Team Canada was announced, with a segment on HNIC where they were showing how slow he thinks the game. He didn't react properly to the play, or had put himself in the wrong position.

Did anybody else notice this lack of criticism until Stevie Y didn't pick him?

I probably see and hear more about Phaneuf than a lot of you guys because I'm a Canucks fan. He's been heavily criticized for his poor attitude on and off the ice. Also, his erratic play. Last year was a poor year on the ice, this year - not much better. He's also heavily criticized for cheap stuff after the whistle but not having the guts to drop the gloves; kind of like a bigger and badder Jarkko Ruutu. It was either Bob McKenzie or Nick Kipprusoff who made that exact point only about 2 weeks ago. It's also said that Phaneuf is more in love with being a celebrity than being a hockey player. I doubt that being traded to the self-acclaimed "Centre of the Hockey Universe" will help that attitude in any way.

Edited by Chairman Maouth, 01 February 2010 - 09:12 PM.

[Yzerfan1999]

It started at the beginning of last year actually. He had three solid years and the Flames and everyone else thought it was time he stepped up his play and actually became an elite defenseman, but from the start of last year his defensive game has started to drop. Bad turnovers, missed coverage, etc.

To me he just doesn't play with the intensity he did in his rookie and sophomore year. He still delivers the big hits, but I couldnt count on my hands how many times he has backed away from fights in the past two seasons. He almost seems like he couldnt be bothered anymore.

Yzerman not picking him on Team Canada was a result of him playing poorly. Not the other way around.

Edit: T. Low, you are right about him being a slow thinker. I think part of his poor play stems from just not being too smart. I live in Edmonton, and went to High School with many of his Jr. High friends. By this time he was off in Red Deer playing Jr., but he would often attend party's on the weekend back in Edmonton, and he was the kind of guy who looked for fights with everyone. Not the sharpest pencil in the box, but the guy has some great natural talent. Great skater and has a nice shot too. He will be an asset for the Leafs, but I think people were expecting him to kind of be the next Pronger. Not gonna do that...

Edited by Yzerfan1999, 01 February 2010 - 09:23 PM.

[mindfly]

He finished 2nd or 3rd in the norris voting season 07-08 or something did he not?

[Doggy]

He finished 2nd or 3rd in the norris voting season 07-08 or something did he not?

Yeah he finished second whilst Nick got 127 of 134 first-place votes.

[GMRwings1983]

His game started going downhill as soon as this happened to him.


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[mindfly]

Lids Domination fo shizzle

Also White just took Phaneuf's #3 jersey in Calgary

[Drake_Marcus]

Where did this insane comparing of Phaneuf to Ericsson come from? People by instinct draw comparisons to similar things but what's similar? Age? Position? Because that's all. One was a Canadian junior star built to play at a young age. The other was a forward selected dead last who was turned into a defender and played in the AHL for many years. One is paid 6 million and has gotten worse, the other gets paid under a million and is still developing. The comparison is illogical and pointless.

I'd rather have Ericsson for under a million than Phanuef for 6 million a year until 2014. Phanuef's contract is absolutely rotten. And it's what you get for signing a kid to a giant contract based on the numbers he put up in his rookie year... that's always a gamble (usually not a huge gamble, but still a gamble).

Edit: Seriously-- he's a 2nd pairing d-man who gets paid 6 million and thinks the game at glacial speed! Yikes.

Edited by Drake_Marcus, 01 February 2010 - 11:21 PM.

[jollymania]

Dreger and McGuire still say that the leafs got a steal in the trade, those guys are massive idiot homers though

[Drake_Marcus]

Dreger and McGuire still say that the leafs got a steal in the trade, those guys are massive idiot homers though

lol Seriously? Wow. Maybe they were being sarcastic.

[ben_usmc]

Personally I thought he was a useless moron since he was a rookie what better player to be on a team full of no heart crybaby ******* then the Flames. That team has been overrated every year since they stumbled into the finals. Phaneuf just acted like hisf****** overrated captain Iggy. I hope for his sake he does better with the change of scenario.

[toby91_ca]

He's not the same age as Ericsson, he's a year younger.

[TheOwl]

He could be great. But his salary is way over his head, and it's obviously negatively affecting his play. Calgary may have done the right thing by trading him, but when you really think about it he does have the potential to be a Norris winner. Calgary should of never given him such a huge contract, and they were basically forced to trade him. If I were a Calgary fan I'd be pissed. They drafted a potential elite guy, threw him a huge contract, and got screwed. Believe me, if he was making a reasonable salary, like 4 million, he wouldn't of been traded. Calgary's management screwed up big time.

Edited by TheOwl, 02 February 2010 - 12:41 AM.