Chris Nichols

­Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.

The Toronto Sun writes that new captain Dion Phaneuf joined summer workouts for the first time Monday and sent an early wake-up call that this 29th-place crew better be in ship shape long before training camp.

"It was a long summer and it's no secret we weren't happy where we finished last year," Phaneuf said. "Back at the first press conference I said what a huge honour it is to be the captain of this team. But I'm not going to change."

Centre John Mitchell said having Phaneuf come out so wired was just what was needed after two or three weeks of the Leafs easing themselves back into shape during their summer training.

"You have to come out here and set an example," Mitchell said, "and today, that was to work hard, even when it's informal.

"He doesn't want guys just walking around him. No one wants to see that happen and hopefully that rubs off on everyone else. Dion practices like it's a game, the way it should be.

"If your head is down, he won't try and bury you and end your career, but he will run into you and let you know to keep your head up, that's for sure. He comes out firing the puck hard every time.

"You can start giving a few hits and bumps so guys aren't skating through the middle with their heads down. We want to get serious soon. We've been on the ice a long time, now we want to get some serious practices, and obviously, some games."

When it comes to Phaneuf, what can poolies expect this season? Good question.

Last year was the first time in his young career where he posted fewer than 47 points thanks to a 12-20-32 campaign with both the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs. 43 defencemen produced as many or more points than he did, which is not what you'd expect from a guy carrying a $6.5M cap hit. Hmm. Unless we're talking about Wade Redden, but that's a whole 'nother can of worms. Phaneuf had 49, 50, 60 and 47-point campaigns to his name before last season's subpar results.

The hard-hitting blueliner posted 10-12-22 in 55 GP (0.40 points per game) with Calgary with an ATOI of 23:14. He had played at least 25:40 and as much as 26:32 in his prior three seasons.

With Toronto, he ended up with 2-8-10 in 26 GP (0.38 ppg). His ATOI jumped up to 26:22. He also logged the most average power play time (4:31) on the Leafs of anyone, including Tomas Kaberle (4:29), which is a trend we should see continue in '10-11. You don't acquire a big shot like that and then not use it when you have the man advantage.

Speaking of Kaberle, will the fact that he wasn't dealt before his no-trade clause deadline kicked in hurt Phaneuf's chances for offensive success this season? Or will Phaneuf's presence negatively impact Kaberle's output? No. If anything, it should help both defencemen produce effective numbers. The more offensive diversity a team has, the better off everyone should be. While the Leafs clearly still need more firepower up front, they have some good puck-moving rearguards that'll help the overall transition game.

Phaneuf and Phil Kessel will be the big shot threats with the man advantage, while Kaberle brings another dimension that has seen the Czech produce 155 of his 258 points since the lockout (377 GP) via the power play.

Phaneuf's fantasy value has, without a doubt, fallen from its height in '07-8 when he not only racked up 17-43-60; but also amassed 182 PIM with his 263 SOG and 33 PPP. Seasoned poolies know the drill though - when the market busts on any given player with a high ceiling like Phaneuf's, it generally creates a strong buy-low situation.

In single season leagues that'll come in the form of being able to snag a potential standard league gem much later in your draft than you'd normally get him. Remember that with his PIM/ SOG contributions, Phaneuf could just add even 10 points to last year's 32-point output and he'd easily surpass the overall value of a healthy portion of the blueliners he trailed in the points race last year.

For keeper league owners, bargains like this will often come in the form of frustrated owners who will sell their star for less than he's really worth. Whether or not you should take the plunge on Phaneuf in that situation really depends on what the specific price is, along with factoring in how many keepers you hang onto each season and whether or not Phaneuf warrants a spot above other potential candidates on your roster.

Either way though, there's reason to be optimistic about a turnaround in Phaneuf's game. He has a new leadership role on a team that's really his now as the captain and while the Leafs still have plenty of room for improvement, there's shaping up to be a surprising amount of leeway in the bottom portion of the Eastern standings. A few early breaks here and there and who knows? Maybe a playoff spot isn't as far away as some may think.

BOZAK AND KESSEL?
The Toronto Sun also indicates that there is no question in winger Phil Kessel's mind who he thinks would get the L1 C job under the present setup, with no big name secured since the Leafs skated off the ice April 10 in Montreal.

"Obviously, I think Tyler Bozak is the No. 1 guy," Toronto's top scorer said Monday. "He's the No. 1 guy we have. You never know what can happen at camp, there can be trades and that, but right now, he's the man."

Bozak produced 8-19-27 in his 37 GP last year with 19:14 ATOI in what was often a first line spot with Kessel.

The pivot has added some weight this summer with an ambitious nutrition and gym routine.

"Aw, he's still a shrimp out there," teased Kessel. "But he looks in good shape. I hope I can have a big year, our team has a big year and we can get in the playoffs.

"We were not as bad as we finished. We had a chance there, we just started off badly (one win in 13 games). I think the team is going in the right direction. We've brought in some good players. This year, hopefully, it's different."

The article also notes that Kessel's late-season rib injury wasn't a tear as the team had feared and he was able to make a full recovery during the summer.

MARKOV AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
Andrei Markov's return from a knee injury appears ahead of schedule, his agent told Sportsnet's Louis Jean.

Markov's agent, Don Meehan, told Sportsnet that the defenceman has begun skating as he continues to recover from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

ZUCCARELLO-AASEN ARRIVES
Newsday reports that carrying a little jet lag and a big stick, Rangers rookie Mats Zuccarello-Aasen joined 10 players on the ice Monday on the first day of informal workouts. Training camp begins Sept. 17.

Mats, as he prefers to be called, understands that he faces a period of transition. The biggest challenge, he thinks, will be the smaller ice surface.

"I have to learn to do everything a little quicker so I can succeed out there," he said afterward. "In Europe, we have bigger rinks but a smaller offensive zone, so here you have a little more space to do something. In Sweden, I was in the corners and behind the nets, but in the Olympics (on the NHL-size Vancouver rink), there's so little space, you can't do that. You have to change your game a little."

Will the Swedish Elite League MVP be able to translate his game to the NHL immediately?

"I come here open-minded," Zuccarello-Aasen said. "If I'm not good enough, I have to work on it in (AHL) Hartford. I'm coming in with confidence. We'll see where it goes."

QUOTABLE
"It's nice going somewhere where I know a few players and not going in there blind," Tim Kennedy, who signed a one-year, one-way deal with the New York Rangers, told The Buffalo News of already knowing Chris Drury, Martin Biron, Brandon Dubinsky and Matt Gilroy on the team. "It will be great playing with them. I'm a young guy, so I'm going to go in there and work hard. I'm going to put the work in and do whatever they want me to do. I'll just keep my mouth closed and ears open and try to help them out."

STAAL THINKS CANES WILL COMPETE
According to The Raleigh News & Observer, Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford has said the team payroll will be about $44M or $45M this season, which would put it around $15M under the salary cap. Eric Staal, the highest-paid player at $7.5M ($8.25M cap hit), believes the Hurricanes can still be a factor in that price range.

"I don't think that will be too much of an issue," Staal, who indicated he feels really strong as he gears up for training camp, said. "We'll be competitive. We'll have a younger team, for sure, but there's no reason we can't compete.

"I think the way Jim [Rutherford] builds this team, the way Jim handles everything, he's the best at it. I think the way the organization has drafted, a lot of these younger guys and a lot of these new guys will really make a difference. I think there are guys coming up who are at a stage where they can really take a step and be a difference.

"That's what they're expecting and a lot of guys are expecting, including me."

KRONWALL NOT "RIGHT"
Michigan Live indicates that Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland on Monday said defenceman Niklas Kronwall might have his left knee scoped to determine the cause of his discomfort. Kronwall has seen doctors in Sweden and the U.S., including a couple specialists.

"They suggested we do a minor scope to explore, to look and see what's going on,'' Holland said.

"It's minor, nothing major. He started to skate three weeks ago and felt some discomfort. It's not the same as last year; it's in a different location. So it's a little confusing.''

The article points out that Kronwall, who should be ready to go when the season starts regardless, apparently never felt right last season following a knee-on-knee hit from Georges Laraque (who was suspended for five games) on Nov. 21, which cost the talented defenceman 30 games and then another four later on when he re-injured it.

"You get up every day and you don't feel you're 100 percent,'' Holland said. "He wants to start the season 100 percent.''

CULLEN RARING TO GO
The St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that with countless fans coming up to him this summer and offering words of encouragement, Wild UFA signee Matt Cullen is so amped up that he's ready to skate through the end boards right now.

"It's been a little more than I expected," he said. "I just can't wait. I've got goose bumps."

"That doesn't happen all the time," Cullen added with a laugh. "I'm a 13-year veteran."

Cullen fills a need for the team, slotting behind Mikko Koivu in the pivotman pecking order while also being able to play extensively on special teams.

"I think it's a good fit, I really do," he said. "The Wild, I think they feel they have a lot to prove. We were like that in Carolina. Some of the guys we got there were coming off the scrap heap, and we were picked to finish last. But we went out with a chip on our shoulder and won it all."

What will he add to Minnesota?

"I'll bring some experience," he said. "I think that's one thing they were looking for. I've been through it. They understand the importance of leadership. There have been a couple of guys in my career, like Bret Hedican, who was one of the best leaders I've every played with but never wore a letter on his jersey. You just help out."

The article indicates something we've gone over extensively this summer already, but bears repeating for poolies still shaking off the rust: Cullen could fit nicely between Martin Havlat and Guillaume Latendresse on the second line, assuming Andrew Brunette and Antti Miettinen resume their wing slots beside Koivu. Cullen also can man the point on one of the power play units.

Keep in mind that Havlat and Latendresse, who each enjoyed their own level of success for stretches last season and were linemates with a variety of centres between them, should be able to benefit from having a steadier guy like Cullen down the middle. He's not an elite centre by any stretch, but he should provide more consistency at the position than the team saw last year in the L2 slot. That should enhance the value of the wingers and Cullen's own value, assuming he lands and keeps that job, should be pretty decent as a depth centre for fantasy leaguers too.

It's still possible that Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who is making steady progress as he returns from concussion issues, will be able to step into a second line centre role and will supplant Cullen. PMB can also play the wing. But Cullen provides peace of mind - and depth - for the team regardless.

The best few lines of that Pioneer Press article...

"Cullen was a good acquisition. But overall the Wild remain plagued by an abundance of mediocre forwards. General manager Chuck Fletcher addressed that issue by acquiring a bunch more of them. Now they have an overabundance of mediocre forwards."

QUOTABLE
"I learned a ton, and being up and down, and living that life for a year, it's not fun," Mikkel Boedker told The Arizona Republic of being sent to the minors after training camp last year and then trying to show improvement with each recall to the NHL. "It really shows how much these older guys, the guys who have been in the league for so long . . . and how hard they work and it was really important for me I think to learn that, and now it's a new year, it's a fresh start, and I feel I'm ready for it.

"When you have a chance you just got to grab it and do what the guys who have been in the league so long do, and you've just to watch them and learn and really listen to (General Manager Don Maloney and Tippett), what they say, what they want you to improve on, and I've got a good feeling. I'm feeling confidence, and I'm learning from the older guys still, and it's a lot of fun."

Need help deciding on keeper choices for '10-11? Wondering about someone's poolie potential after summer moves by the team? The next fantasy Q&A will be coming up before too long, so drop a line to chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com and it may be included. Please include relevant league details like scoring categories, number of teams, etc.