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Dion Phaneuf expected to be named Leafs captain on Monday

Image (1) Phaneuf-thumb-200x300-13505.jpg for post 2073

Two bits of good news coming tomorrow for the Maple Leafs: first, the Leafs will be announcing and unveiling a new team sweater, because we all know those traditional Leafs jerseys need an updating. Then the team is expected to announce Dion Phaneuf as the new team captain, the team’s first since Mats Sundin in 2008.

Phaneuf was traded to the Leafs from the Calgary Flames in a move that was supposed to gear up the Flames for a playoff run, but instead seemingly set the team back even further. While some may say the Leafs gave up too much to acquire Phaneuf, he is exactly the cornerstone player this team has been needing as Brian Burke rebuilds the franchise.

There were sometimes questions about his leadership ability in Calgary, but now the pressure is all on Phaneuf to be the stablizing force on a very young team. He’s just 25 years old and if he can grow into this position, he’s poised to be the captain on the Leafs for a very long time.