Dion Phaneuf

The Toronto Maple Leafs soured on Dion Phaneuf just one year after signing him to a $49 million pact.

(The Associated Press)

DETROIT - Now that Mike Babcock is in Toronto, will Dion Phaneuf have a new lease on life? Or will it expedite his departure?

That will be one of the main storylines this summer and possibly into the season for the Maple Leafs. The Detroit Red Wings figure to be watching with interest.

The Red Wings made a pitch for the big, hard-hitting but inconsistent defenseman with the booming left-handed shot at the trade deadline. Might talks be revisited in the off-season?

During his introductory press conference Thursday in Toronto, Babcock sounded like he was going to give Phaneuf (6-3, 214), the team captain, a chance to show what he can do under his guidance.

"I'm going to get to know Dion and he's going to get to know me," Babcock said. "I like to think I'm a straightforward communicator. When you work for people and they tell you what they want I'm one of those people. I like to please them.

"But I like to know what they want, I don't want to read their mind, I want them to tell me, and I'll be straightforward in that way as well. But I think you have to help your leaders. That's what your job is, to help them do things right. You just do it right day after day after day."

The Leafs signed Phaneuf, 30, to a seven-year, $49 million contract midway through the 2013-14 season. They apparently soured on their captain quickly, to even consider moving him to an Atlantic Division rival.

Could Babcock's coaching have a positive impact?

"I'm a fan of Dion," Babcock said. "I think he's a good kid. I think he works hard and he tries hard. But for me to comment on players that are here now, that's unfair because I've evaluated them from afar and that to me is not what a coach does."

Phaneuf's contract limits his possible destinations. He has six years remaining at a $7 million cap hit. He also has a limited no-trade clause but reportedly was willing to waive it to come to Detroit.

The Red Wings tried to get Toronto to retain about $2 million per season, but the Leafs declined. They also weren't interested in taking back Toronto native Stephen Weiss, who has three years remaining at a cap hit of $4.9 million ($16 million in actual salary). They wanted top forward prospect Anthony Mantha, who the Red Wings aren't likely to move despite his struggles during his first pro season with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Babcock pushed hard for the Weiss signing in 2013 but surely isn't interested in him now, after making him a healthy scratch the final five games of the playoff series against Tampa Bay.

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