Philadelphia Flyers Trade Option: Dion Phaneuf

Philadelphia Flyers Trade Option: Dion Phaneuf

When addressing their issues on defense, the Philadelphia Flyers have two options. Option number one involves patience. The Flyers have a plethora of prospects on defense that have the ability to be something special once they have developed fully. Ron Hextall could decide to be conservative when making moves to improve Philadelphia’s defensive unit this offseason. The orange and black have plenty of defensemen of the roster, and they could just wait it out with this group until their young talent is ready.

Oct 25, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (53) carries the puck against the Detroit Red Wings during the first period at Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers defeated the Red Wings, 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Option number two could prove to be the more carless choice; but would involve trading for an already proven top-tier defender. If Hextall and the rest of Flyers management decide to deviate from their current mindset and explore the trade market, they could possibly find the Toronto Maple Leafs to be a good trade partner.

Philadelphia Flyers Receive: Dion Phaneuf & Jonathan Bernier

Feb 28, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf (3) and teammate Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier (45) stretch during the warmup period before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

In his eleven years in the NHL, Dion Phaneuf has proven time and again that he is an elite defender. With so many defensemen flourishing because of their ability on offense, Phaneuf continues to remind general managers of the impact good defense has on the game of hockey. Unfortunately, his defensive game still has some flaws. Phaneuf has the reputation of being overaggressive which can lead to some bonehead plays and turnovers. However, he is still one of the better defenders in the NHL.

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Offensive production is not the strength of Phaneuf’s game; and when he acquires a point on the stat sheet, it is normally an assist. In his 70 games this season, Phaneuf recorded 3 goals and 26 assists. He has proven to be a valuable asset to have on the power play, as he was able to gain 15 of his 29 points this season while Toronto had a man-advantage.

Unfortunately, Dion Phaneuf would not make the salary cap situation any better in Philadelphia. He is currently the 2nd highest paid player in Toronto and his contract does not come off the books until 2021. The Flyers would really have to think about how important it is to have a sure-thing top-tier defender on their roster for next season before they even thought about offering Toronto a deal for Mr. Phaneuf.

Jonathan Bernier is due to become a restricted free agent this offseason; but would be a more than acceptable backup goaltender for the orange and black next season. In 58 games in goal for the Maple Leafs, Bernier proved that he could be a very successful net-minder in the NHL. He went 21-28-7 with a save-percentage of .912, and a goals-against-average of 2.87. In reality, there will be a team out there interested in making Bernier their starting goalie next season, and the Flyers will be unable and unwilling to match the offer.

So the Flyers would essentially only be acquiring Dion Phaneuf from Toronto.

Toronto Maple Leafs Receive: Vincent Lecavalier, Brandon Manning, & First-Round Pick

Mar 28, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Vincent Lecavalier (40) skates with the puck against the San Jose Sharks at Wells Fargo Center. The Sharks won 3-2 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

For the Flyers, the Vincent Lecavalier experiment has been far from successful. In his two seasons with the orange and black, Lecavalier has demonstrated that he is at the tail-end of his career and is no longer capable of putting up the numbers he did when he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Although most of this can be blamed on the now former head coach of the Flyers, Craig Berube, Vinny has expressed displeasure with the Flyers on more than one occasion. Trade rumors have surrounded Lecavalier since last summer, and one has to believe that the Flyers would love to ship him off to another team. Toronto could be willing to take on Lecavalier’s bad contract in exchange for being able to get rid of an even worse one. Vincent Lecavalier has also mentioned retiring before his contract ends, which could give the Maple Leafs more incentive to acquire him.

Brandon Manning is one of the many defensive prospects the Philadelphia Flyers have. In reality, he may be the prospect with the lowest ceiling, and the one Ron Hextall would not mind parting ways with. Adding Manning to the offer with Toronto would be more of a deal-sweetener than anything else.

Luckily, the Flyers have a great deal of young talent and a large number of picks in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Although giving up the 7^th overall pick is a risky move, it is most likely the only way the Maple Leafs would agree to a deal involving the players mentioned.

Let’s make something clear; although a deal for Dion Phaneuf has been mentioned above, it does not mean that it is the best option for the Flyers. Ron Hextall has made moves to assure a bright future for Philadelphia. Trading for a player like Phaneuf would not follow his plan at all and is highly unlikely to occur. However, it is still fun to speculate all possible options.

Next: Free Agent Target: Matt Beleskey

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