Why the Leafs should kiss Kessel goodbye and send Phaneuf packing:

I've compiled some the best remarks from comment sections of Toronto newspaper sites and, of course, HFboards. I thought you all could use a good laugh today.

Follow along after the jump...

Tip: This guy isn't wearing the bag because the Leafs stink. He's wearing the bag because he's embarrassed to be associated with other Leaf fans.

• Dion Phaneuf is one of the dumbest players I've ever seen and his contract is terrible.
• Dion has an extremely low hockey IQ and was voted by his peers as the most overrated player.
• Kessel is so one dimensional it's not even funny (and don't call him a 40 goal scorer until he actually reaches that level which he may never do since he has no heart whatsoever).
• With Phaneuf really only looking good for just a few scattered months during his time with the Leafs, the Leafs miss the solid defensive play of Ian White.
• Dion should never have been granted the ‘C" but as everyone knows, Dion is Burke’s Golden Boy, a player Burke wished he could have morphed into during his college playing days.
• Again, this is Burke's fault for putting a kid [Phaneuf] in charge. You need a MAN like Gilmour or Roberts wearing the 'C' for the Leafs.
• Calgary has made a lot of bad trades - several of them involving the Leafs - but getting rid of Phaneuf was one bit of smart business.
• Wendel took charge played like he was 230lbs and as mean as a wolverine when provoked or in defense of his players. I MISS YOU WENDEL.
• Any team that needs Phil Kessel as one of it's leaders will never win the cup. He just doesn't have "it".
• Hopefully Burkie can turn him [Kessel] into something good, like Nash.
• Kessel was invisible at the Olympics for the USA. Not in the same league as Kessler, Kane, and Parise. Nope.
• Kessel = Jason Blake (but softer)
• Bring back Colton Orr and he doesn't have to step out on the ice. Just have him fight the slackers in the dressing room. Then you'd see a little perk in a guy like Chicken Phil's step.
• Calgary dumped Phaneuf - Toronto was the dump. And they put a 'C' on one of the most disliked and disrespected players in the league. Just more of the same for the Leaf Nation.
• But look at all the stats on the others listed....none of them is minus rating, they have a higher shooting percentage.....even the softest has twice the hits Kessel does and most are 5 times higher, one has the same number of game winning goals the others are all higher.
• He [Kessel] can't make others better around him. May be his linemates, but he can't lift up the mood of the team.
• Being a franchise player isn't all about points, I don't think Rick Nash is, but he is closer then Kessel because he wears the C and he doesn't hide from the media.
• Phaneuf is a Bryan McCabe lite, nothing more nothing less

And my favorite one of them all:

It could be said that he [Phaneuf] maybe never really wanted to be the captain....just a d*** that wanted to run the iPod.