Pronger is a General out there. On the ice. On the bench. His stick can break up perfect passing plays. He can throw bone-crushing, jaw-dropping hits. His shot from the point is deadly. He owns the ice in front of the net. He can command a powerplay as well as anyone. And his style of play has a tendency to invoke a sense of fear in opponents.

Is it just me, or is Pronger not the poster boy for what Phaneuf should try to become?

Phaneuf has all the tools to become just that. The size, the skill, the attitude, the leadership. Phaneuf, however, is struggling to make the transition from a solid offensive defenseman with average defensive prowess to an elite blueliner at both ends of the rink. Bridging that gap is more mental than physical. What separates Pronger from Phaneuf is his ability to select the right course of action in any given situation. That kind of ability innate more than anything else.

From a coaching standpoint, the only option Ron Wilson really has is to make Phaneuf watch Pronger tapes all day and pray that some of that genius rubs off on Dion. Not much else he can do other than maybe giving his captain a t-shirt that says “What Would Pronger Do?”