Lou Lamoriello 'extremely impressed' with Dion Phaneuf

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the business of building, and sometimes talking up assets, but when Lou Lamoriello speaks, he shoots exclusively from the hip.

So when the Maple Leafs general manager lauded captain Dion Phaneuf on Thursday, it didn't come with a hint of insincerity or suspicion of an ulterior motive.

"I came in (to this job) with no preconceived notions, and boy am I glad I did because this man has extremely impressed me," Lamoriello said in a radio appearance with Sportsnet 590 The Fan on Thursday. "Watching him, how he's handled the young players, watching how his work ethic has been, watching how he's handled the media."

He added: "He's been one of the most impressive individuals I've been around here. The leadership qualities that he's shown me are not to impress - they're genuine."

Lamoriello also heaped comparable praise on head coach Mike Babcock, who certainly doesn't need a boost to his stock.

"We're extremely fortunate here in Toronto," Lamoriello said of his coach. "In my opinion, we have the best coach in the game. His enthusiasm and the way he teaches and the way he comes to work each and every day no matter what transpires the day before.

"We have the right person. Mike is a winner."

Lamoriello has a coach and a captain. Now all he needs is a roster.

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