Toronto Maple Leafs should trade Cody Ceci and sign Dion Phaneuf

The Toronto Maple Leafs blue line is banged up, but when it is healthy again the team should be looking at their options ahead of the trade deadline.

Cody Ceci is a player that is proving to be a point of frustration for many within the Toronto Maple Leafs fanbase, especially considering his hefty $4.5 million cap hit.

The former Ottawa Senators blueliner has seen his offensive output fall off a cliff (one goal, six assists in 49 games) and his defensive performance doesn’t warrant the hefty amount of money the team is giving him.

At the trade deadline, the Leafs need to look at how they could potentially part with the 26-year-old right-hander and acquire a guy that can play his bottom-pairing role to a similar standard but with a far lower financial commitment.

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Enter former Toronto Maple Leafs captain, Dion Phaneuf.

Phaneuf has recently been spotted shadowing club president Brendan Shanahan, with a view to learning more about the business side of hockey, with the 34-year-old still without a contract, despite clearly hoping to continue playing in the 2019/20 season.

His offensive output dropped significantly while playing for a shockingly bad LA Kings side last season, but his physicality has remained.

The Alberta native could be the ideal bottom pairing acquisition for the Toronto Maple Leafs if they choose to part ways with Ceci, largely due to his affinity to the team and his experience within the game.

Having missed over half of the current season, signing Phaneuf ahead of the trade deadline to a league minimum contract would see him get back up to speed just in time for when the playoffs roll around, giving the Leafs a fully fresh veteran that can be a strong leader in the dressing room.

Phaneuf’s tenure as captain of the team is looked at both positively and negatively from the fanbase but it can’t be denied that he gave everything he could while playing in the city.

Bringing Phaneuf back into the organization and having him play a part in meaningful playoff hockey would be a nice gesture from the team, with the veteran still having some value as a bottom-end guy.

Ceci, meanwhile, is costing the team too much and his cap space could be used to acquire a better backup goaltender that the team desperately needs.

Phaneuf is not the only low-cost blueliner that the team could look to acquire in this scenario, but it would certainly be the most interesting storyline after his recent appearance at a game.

His minutes would be limited once Jake Muzzin and Morgan Rielly are back from their respective injuries but he would be a valuable addition to a team that is currently using a guy like Martin Marincin on the second pairing.

What do you think Leafs fans? Should the team get rid of Ceci at the deadline? Should they bring Phaneuf back as a low-cost bottom pairing guy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!