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Maple Leafs Rumors: Dion Phaneuf not likely to waive no trade protection

By Dave Stevenson

Oct 31, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf (3) against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Leafs won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf (3) against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Leafs won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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It is not likely that Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf will be waiving his no-trade protection any time soon.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the midst of a long overdue rebuild. Most people would expect that a 30-year-old defenseman would want to leave a rebuilding team in hopes of playing for a contender so that they could win a Stanley Cup. Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf is the exception because it is believed that he wants to stay in Toronto.

“During the off-season, I think it would have been very easy to convince Dion Phaneuf to waive his no-trade protection and accept a trade,” said Darren Dreger, via TSN. “I think he thought it was inevitable that it was coming, that it was just a matter of the phone ringing. Newport calling or Brendan Shanahan saying ‘we got this deal, would you consider?’ I believe he absolutely would of. Until they hired Mike Babcock and he had a conversation with Mike Babcock.”

He has a modified no-trade clause according to General Fanager. He submits a 12-team list of teams that he can be traded to at the beginning of each season. Phaneuf’s unwillingness to waive his protection is not detrimental to the Leafs at this point because they are still very early in the rebuild. Cap space isn’t that big of a concern for the Leafs at this point because they don’t really have anyone worth giving a huge extension yet. It will be interesting to see if Phaneuf becomes more willing to waive it or if management will simply work out a deal with one of the 12 teams that he lists in the future once they start needing to free up more cap space.

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