What Would He Have Received On Day One Of Free Agency?
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So we all are fine with the fact that on day one of free agency, some big contracts can be handed out, and yesterday was no different.

Teams can also hand out some big deals in-season to ensure their pending UFA doesn’t hit the open market and lose them for nothing.

Let us look at some basic stats of two defensemen, one who signed yesterday, and one who signed during the season.

GM G A PTS PIM
 2007-2008 78 7 19 26 36
 2008-2009 80 6 29 35 52
 2009-2010 74 3 12 15 18
 2010-2011 45 0 6 6 30
18 1 3 4 20
 2011-2012 75 4 17 21 47
 2012-2013 40 4 10 14 12
 2013-2014 81 10 36 46 51
 Totals 491 35 132 167 266
GM G A PTS PIM
 2005-2006 82 20 29 49 93
 2006-2007 79 17 33 50 98
 2007-2008 82 17 43 60 182
 2008-2009 80 11 36 47 100
 2009-2010 55 10 12 22 49
 2010-2011 66 8 22 30 88
 2011-2012 82 12 32 44 92
 2012-2013 48 9 19 28 65
 2013-2014 80 8 23 31 144
 Totals 654 112 249 361 911

I am by no means comparing the two as playing a similar game, just what contracts they signed, and what might have happened if one hit the open market. I am also not using stats as the “be all, end-all” in what a players contract is based on.

The top collection of stats belongs to the 27-year old Matt Niskanen, who signed a seven-year, $40.25 million deal yesterday. The deal carries a $5.75 million cap hit.

The below collection of stats belongs to 29-year old Dion Phaneuf, who signed a seven-year, $49 million deal earlier this past season. The deal carries a $7 million cap hit.

We also know Phaneuf has his plenty of haters, but he’s not nearly as bad as he’s sometimes made out to be. Another reference point is that 33-year old Brooks Orpik signed for five-years for $27.5 million, a $5.5 million cap hit, yesterday.

So, if Phaneuf wasn’t signed during the season and was a free agent yesterday, what do you think Phaneuf would have received?