As soon as he became a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dion Phaneuf was thrown into a role he wasn’t suited for and the three head coaches he’s played under as a Leaf continued to set him up for failure – and he didn’t disappoint. His possession impact has been in steady decline since arriving in Toronto.
Here’s Phaneuf’s slow possession death using Domenic Galamini’s fantastic HERO charts from ownthepuck.blogspot.com.
It reminds me of that episode of The Simpsons where they watch Ralph’s heart get ripped out in slow motion, only when they freeze frame on the exact point it breaks for Phaneuf it would be when he was traded to Toronto.