Three Possible Trade Destinations for Dion Phaneuf

By Alex Hobson

With the NHL Entry Draft taking place on friday, the Leafs have lots of trade chips to work with as they enter their rebuild. When you think of players that the Leafs could potentially trade, one name that comes to mind is defenseman and captain Dion Phaneuf. Phaneuf was nearly dealt to the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline in exchange for defenseman Brendan Smith, prospect Teemu Pulkkinen, and forward Stephen Weiss, but the Leafs backed out of the deal because they didn't want Weiss and his contract. That being said, the Leafs could still possible look to trade the captain over the next week in exchange for prospects and draft picks. The Leafs were aiming to return to Detroit to pursue a potential Phaneuf deal, given the fact that highly-touted prospect Anthony Mantha was on the trading block, but they informed Leafs management that they were no longer interested in trading for him any longer. So without further ado, here are three possible trade destinations for Dion Phaneuf.

1. Colorado Avalanche

In 2013-14, the Avalanche went from having the first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, to nearly claiming the President's Trophy for having one of the best regular season records in the NHL. Unfortunately, their run of glory was cut short in round one of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs after being defeated in seven games by the Minnesota Wild. One reason for this was that they need a little more help on defense in order to go farther in the playoffs, and Phaneuf could be a perfect fit. He could play alongside of Erik Johnson, the Avalanche's top right handed defenseman. They currently have the cap space to work with him, and at the moment they're shopping around centre Ryan O'Reilly. Could this work for a potential deal?

Potential trade with Colorado: Dion Phaneuf to Colorado in exchange for Ryan O'Reilly

2. Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are yet another team that needs lots of help on defense. They have mentioned that they are willing to part with their fifth overall selection in the draft this year, so the Leafs could be sitting on a gold mine for this one. They will need to take back some salary as a cap dump, which makes perfect sense because the Hurricanes currently have forward Alexander Semin, who has three years left on a six year contract at $7 million per year, so the Leafs could take back Semin for three more years and see if he can prove himself, and if not, release him at the end of his contract.

Potential trade with Carolina: Dion Phaneuf and the 24th overall pick in 2015 to Carolina in exchange for Alexander Semin and the 5th overall pick in the draft.

3. Edmonton Oilers

After years and years of failiure, the Oilers look like they're actually going to turn it around. They hired Peter Chiarelli as general manager and Todd McLellan as head coach, and after winning the draft lottery, they're positioned to select Connor McDavid, a generational talent, with the first overall pick in the draft. If the Oilers are serious about pushing for the playoffs next year, they're going to need some help on defense, and they have lots of cap space to work with. Edmonton also has a second first round pick to work with, acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh that sent forward David Perron to the Penguins in exchange for their first round pick and Rob Klinkhammer. This could be a straight up trade to the Oilers if they wanted to make a playoff push. They could also be willing to unload some salary if they're bringing in Phaneuf, and they have a couple of players to work with in that area.

Potential trade with Edmonton: Dion Phaneuf and a 4th round pick in 2016 to Edmonton in exchange for the 16th overall pick in the draft and Nikita Nikitin.

Keep in mind, newly appointed head coach Mike Babcock is a big fan of Dion Phaneuf, so there is always the offchance that Phaneuf remains in Toronto for the next year at least, and looks to redeem his game under Babcock, but there is also the possibility of him getting dealt within the next week.

What's your take on this, Leafs fans? Would you like to see any of these deals go through? Weigh in below and leave feedback.