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| Dion Phaneuf tallied 42 goals and 166 points in 353 games with the Maple Leafs. |
Toronto - A rather quiet NHL trade deadline day for the Toronto Maple Leafs ended with a somewhat surprising move on Monday afternoon as the storied Canadian franchise said goodbye to team captain Dion Phaneuf.
Phaneuf, acquired in January of 2010 from the Calgary Flames, had long been rumoured to be on the trading block, that is if another team was willing to take on a substantial portion of his well-earned seven-year, $49 million (U.S.) extension which he signed in 2013. As Monday approached, several teams had expressed interest - Colorado, Dallas, and Anaheim among them. The Detroit Red Wings, however, seemed to be the team with the most bargaining chips; they instead acquired defenceman Marek Zidlicky from the New Jersey Devils, leaving many to wonder if Phaneuf would remain a fixture at the Air Canada Centre.
However, at 3:30pm, half an hour after the trade deadline passed, word came from the league office that the Edmonton native would indeed be packing his bags. However, the 29-year-old won't be looking for a real estate agent anytime soon. In a rare move between leagues, one which hasn't occurred in decades, Phaneuf has been acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays, who play their home games at Rogers Centre, a mere fifteen minute walk from the ACC.
"We are thrilled to add a player of Dion's caliber to our clubhouse," said Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos. "He's been on our radar for a few months now, and when (left fielder Michael) Saunders went down with his unfortunate injury (the newly acquired outfielder stepped awkwardly on a sprinkler-head during training), we decided to step up and began serious negotiations with the Leafs."
While hockey is Phaneuf's premiere sport, he does have an impressive baseball résumé. He grew up playing baseball in climate-friendly Edmonton until the age of 8. While primarily used as his little-league team's fourth outfielder, Phaneuf also tried his hand on the mound, another quality which impressed Anthopoulos. Toronto, while projected to vastly improve on their 83-79 record from last year, has yet to add some much-needed depth in their bullpen. "Dion has a huge upside in that area, and we'll give him every chance to be a valuable arm down in the pen if we need him. He threw out the first pitch in a game in 2012 and had more than a few scouts talking."
When reached by The Sentinel Dispatch on Monday evening, Phaneuf said he was "surprised, but excited to be joining a team with a loyal fan base that is used to a winning product on the field. I'll do what I can in whatever capacity I'm needed."
In exchange for Phaneuf, the Maple Leafs will receive Ace, the long-time mascot for Canada's only MLB team, plus 25 Rawlings baseballs.
From Our Toronto Bureau