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Toronto Maple Leafs' Dion Phaneuf stretches during warm ups before his team plays the New Jersey Devils during in their NHL hockey game in Toronto February 2, 2010. REUTERS/Mark BlinchMARK BLINCH/Reuters

It's been rumoured ever since he landed in Toronto in late January, but it appears all but a given Dion Phaneuf will be the Leafs captain for the start of next season.

Here was coach Ron Wilson on The Fan 590 this afternoon:

Q: Will you have a captain next year?

Wilson: Oh for sure.

Q. Everybody's pointing to Dion Phaneuf...

Wilson: Well that's a very, you know -- we would have to make a mega-deal to bring the greatest captain of all-time in in order to not name Dion the captain. And that's something as a group over the summer we'll discuss. But I think most of the players right now look at Dion as the leader of our team.

He's vocal, he plays aggressive, he cares about his teammates and he's really highly involved in the community already in two months so more than likely that's what will happen. We wanted to let everything play out over time, let him get comfortable here, let him get to know everybody, everybody to get to know him, but right now I'd be perfectly comfortable with Dion as the captain of the team.

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