Sutter really gets **** on alot because of his last few trades. You remove the latest Jokinen deal and the Phaneuf deal and his track record was actually quite impressive.
The Phaneuf deal was not bad; it was the handling of the assets after they came to Calgary that was terrible.
White (and Brett Sutter) for The Anton (and Tom Kotsopolous)?
Hagman for
nothing?
Stajan scoring at a 50-60 point pace in the top-six, then suddenly banished to the 3rd/4th line 50 games into his Calgary career (and then scores at nearly a 50-point pace when he gets a top-six job again 2 1/2 years later, even with no PP time)
That's TERRIBLE asset handling. A 50-60 point two-way center, a consistent 30-point defenseman who plays a solid defensive game, and a decent two-way middle-six winger is a GREAT return for what Phaneuf was (and is now, for that matter).
Think about it. Compare the return of Stajan was a proven ~55-60 point center with a solid defensive game, Hagman was a gritty two-way winger between 40-50 points (on pace for about 50 at the time of the trade), and White was a ~30 point defenseman. A comparable deal in performance right now?
Phaneuf for Richards+Brown+Corvo.
Doesn't sound so bad, does it? But that's because those guys have big names. The Phaneuf trade was even, possibly in Calgary's trade. And Calgary WASTED the solid group of assets they received.
Imagine if the Leafs traded Phaneuf and got that kind of return back, and didn't
waste the assets. It would be called a GREAT trade. Seriously. Stajan scoring 50 points the past few years, White on the D instead of Babchuk.
It certainly would have made for a better team than what actually happened.