A by-the-numbers look at Dion Phaneuf

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators completed the trade just before noon Tuesday, shortly after rumors of a possible deal began to circulate. Would it make sense for the Leafs?

But what they absolutely did not want to do was keep paying Phaneuf that money, $7-million annually, for another five seasons after this one, not when that would leach into the years during which this not-good team actually plans to be good. If you put Phaneuf on a pairing with Karlsson where he won’t be considered the number one guy, we can expect to see an increase in his point production and allow him to settle in defensively without having to take the brunt of the criticism if the team sputters. “We’ll see now how it works out”.

That’d be good enough on its own-the Leafs have long needed to be blown up, because it can really only get better from here.

1,120 – Total penalty minutes the hard-hitting Phaneuf has piled up over his National Hockey League career. But if you’re Stamkos and you look at the Toronto lineup without Phil Kessel (who was dealt to Pittsburgh last summer) and Phaneuf, what else is there other than a lot of cap room to pay a top-end player? He’s not merely an addition to help out now, but needs to play a significant role for the Senators for years to come.

Phaneuf was enjoying one of his better seasons as a Leaf, a redemptive one in many ways following a challenging 2014-15 season which saw him finish with just 29 points. That’s a key aspect to the trade for Toronto, which is rebuilding under the leadership of president Brendan Shanahan, general manager Lou Lamoriello and head coach Mike Babcock. While Dion has longer term the salaries will wash for a few seasons depending on what the Leafs do.

Dion Phaneuf is expected to debut for the visiting Senators as they try for a third consecutive victory Wednesday night against the Detroit Red Wings.

This season: No goals and four assists in 37 games. Just ask David Clarkson, who went from local hero to goat with his contract and unrealistic expectations in Toronto becoming being mercifully traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ottawa is four points back of the New York Islanders for the final wild-card position in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs also had incentive to move early: they plan to move a handful of players before the trade deadline and moving Phaneuf involved the most complications.

Bringing Phaneuf to Toronto was a Burke building block, his way in his words of putting teams together from the back end out.

Toronto Maple Leafs’ Roman Polak, left, from Czech Republic, is knocked down by Calgary Flames’ Jiri Hudler, from Czech Republic, during second period National Hockey League action in Calgary, Alberta, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. Toronto is trying to clear its deck of long-term pieces that don’t fit for the future as it aggressively rebuilds through a revamped system of draft and development. He will earn $3.1-million this season and next. That may cause future headaches, especially when Karlsson needs a new deal in 2019. He played for Sweden at every national team level from under-16 to under-19, but wasn’t invited to this year’s world junior camp.

Lamoriello saw no limit to the flexibility the transaction would provide. “Whatever opportunity there is to make the Maple Leafs better certainly will be considered”.

Dion Phaneuf is trading sides in the Battle of the Ontario.

But the goaltender says it’s Phaneuf’s competitiveness that will be missed most.

“It’s going to be a group effort and we are ready for it”, said Rielly.

“I thought we played really well”, Hamilton said.

Phaneuf’s cap hit for next season was going to be $7 million, but the combined salaries of Cowen, Colin Greening and Milan Michalek take up close to $10 million.