We lost Chara and Havlat not due to the team put on the ice due to Muckler, but because we were so good we had too many players to fit under the cap.
Redden over Chara was a big mistake, but Chara wasn't signing here after the Hossa trade.
Havlat was a cap causality, and it sucked big time.
The problem with Muckler was he wouldn't give up his draft picks or prospects to put us over the top. I remember everyone was dying for Olli Jokinen for 2 or 3 trade deadlines.
Muckler never traded his 1st round picks in 5 years, and traded his 2nd's 2 times as GM and as a result we never got the big additions like Jokinen. He wouldn't trade his young guys like Vermette.
Dorion on the other hand in 2.5 years, has traded his 1st round pick 2 times, and has traded his 2nd 2 times. He got his big name in Duchene, but that doesn't seem to be a lasting relationship. Zibanejad was a young high potential guy traded along with a 2nd for a cost controlled player, who was later traded for a prospect and a pick.
Dorion isn't afraid to make moves, but overpass and sees bad results.
Muckler was afraid to make moves, and was never able to add a guy to put the team over the hump.
They would both be much better in each other's position, as Dorion has operated this team as though it was the best in the league with regards to giving up assets, while Muckler treated it as though it was a rebuilding team with regards to assets.
Muckler traded 3 2nd (Laich + 2nd for old-age Bondra time, Bochenski + 2nd for Arnason, 2nd for Saprykin + 7th) and a recent 1st (Klepis for Vrada).
Havlat was not really a cap casualty. He was an RFA with a 2.6m QO and we spent 13mil on Redden, Gerber and Corvo. He wanted 5m if i remember correctly and Gerber + Corvo made 7mil. He also included Smolinski in that trade, who was making 1.5mil and scored 44 points the next year. Chicago got a 2nd rounder for him at the deadline.
Hindsight is 2020 and we can now loook at the Gerber deal especially as a complete bust but Havlat was a legit star and trading him was not the way to go about things. Same with not trading his 1sts. His 5-year draft haul basically broke down to Eaves, Meszaros, Elliott & Foligno - all of whom Murray dealt for really good returns, btw
As for Chara, either way Muckler is to blame. Either he made a terrible evaluation that no one in the organization agreed with, or he made the most egregious sign-and-trade in medium-term memory and left a sour taste in his mouth. Both possibilities are 100% on Muckler
As for Zib, bad trade for sure but at least Dorion recouped a 1st rounder which turned into JBD + Tychonick. We basically parlayed Zib + 2nd into Gustavsson, JBD, Tychonick + 2020 3rd. Not great but far from his worst move
I agree that they both were ill-suited for their contexts, but I think Muckler is worse because he was actually going against the wishes of the owner whereas Dorion is firmly under the thumb. And, in Mucklers case, the owner was right.
It's going to be a massive gut punch when Colorado drafts Hughes or Kakko with the pick that should have been our reward for watching this **** all season.
I'm praying to the ball gods that the balls be in our favour