from Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun,

Poll after poll, it’s the same thing. Last year, in a poll of 161 NHL players conducted by SI, Phaneuf was named the most overrated guy in 20 ballots. This week, in an ESPN The Magazine poll of 30 “star” NHL players, Phaneuf was again voted the most overrated player, gaining 13.3% of the vote.

Surely there’s something else at play here. There has to be a reason why the Leafs D-man keeps getting knocked on his ass by his peers. As far as I know, the man doesn’t run around the Leafs dressing room telling everyone how great he is. Maybe it has little to do with how great Phaneuf is perceived to be (or not). Maybe it’s just a lot of unfair, petty crap which has nothing to do with his play. Perhaps it something to do with the following:

1. He plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs: Phaneuf skates for the most storied franchise in the NHL, which means he gets a lot more ink and air time than most guys of his skill set in the league, meaning that there’s likely some resentment amongst his fellow players.

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