Phaneuf Signs On!

Finally!!, the Flames made the signing of Dion Phaneuf official today. It is a 6 year deal worth reportedly 39 million dollars. I am very excited about this signing and with the way Phaneuf's career has gone so far I think at roughly 6.5 million dollars a year is a steal.

Phaneuf has had some rocky points in his career but that is all part of becoming an NHLer. He has developed into an All-Star defensemen and there are bigger things to come with him. He has been great lately and will no doubt be a Norris trophy candidate one day. He strikes fear in his opponents eyes every time they step on the ice, they know where he is at every second and when a player has that kind of impact, you just got to love him, well at least if he is on your team. I am excited about the future for Phaneuf and for the future of the Calgary Flames. Their core is now locked up and now the missing parts around it can be filled out.

With that said Calgary now has roughly 45 million dollars locked up for next season, with guys like Langkow and Huselius still to lock up. I have talked about this over and over again. I think guys like Aucoin, Eriksson, Primeau and Nilson have got to go. Their contracts are just too pricey and other than Aucoin none of them have been playing very well. With that said I could go on about this for a long time but I say lets just not worry about it now, cause it really doesn't matter. Yea deals can be done before the deadline but once again that is a subject that could go on forever. This is our team now and for the rest of the season and I think unless deals are done that shake up the line-up for next year, we should just sit back and let it play out. Wait for the off-season and then worry about it then. With all of Sutter's moves he has made excluding the Ference/Kobasew one, I have faith that he will be able to figure things out and be able to give our core players some guys to play with and continue to keep the Flames competitive in the future.

Finally I didn't get to watch the game at all last night but did catch the last eight minutes, OT and the shootout. It was a very exciting ending and I am glad the boys pulled it out. Thank the lord Iggy is out of his scoring funk, I have a feeling that another hot streak is upon him.