From the way team president Brendan Shanahan is talking, Dion Phaneuf’s position as both the Maple Leafs captain and the team’s top defenceman is safe.

Shahanan dropped by the Toronto Star’s newsroom, making the rounds of news outlets Wednesday, and talk of changing the Leafs leadership core inevitably came up. The Leafs have had two spectacular finishes to the regular seasons in the last three years and some believe Shanahan would come to his new post ready to bring a broom to the team built by Dave Nonis.

Already, however, coach Randy Carlyle was given a two-year extension and rumours that the Leafs were seeking to trade Phaneuf or strip him of his captaincy were quickly squashed.

“I don’t know if it (stripping the captaincy) is a solution,” said Shanahan. “I think it’s a cop-out, to a certain degree an easy way out.

“Has it happened on some teams? Yes. Is it something I’m thinking about since I’ve been here? Ultimately this will be a group decision. But I can tell you it’s not something I’ve contemplated. Just the opposite. I want to help enhance the player and leader that Dion is.”

Shanahan said he — like many around the league — was transfixed by the the team’s collapse this season, losing 12 of 14 to end the season. He said he admired Phaneuf’s desire if not his execution.

“I look at a guy like Dion before I had any thoughts of coming to Toronto, I’ll say that I felt that he . . . there are certain times when less is more,” said Shanahan. “(I) really felt that he was trying to be all things at once. I admire the fact he was trying, even though it wasn’t successful, it probably worked in the opposite manner.

“I don’t think anyone here just rolled over. I know there were times they were accused of that. I’ve heard too many times in my life, talking about leadership, this team can’t succeed with this leadership group until they do. That’s something that can be developed.”

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