Four Years From Now...

... I really hope I'm not looking back on today and saying to myself "Darryl Sutter really screwed the pooch on that one".

December 2011 edit: It turns out it only took two years for me to be able to say definitively that this was a terrible trade. We'd have been better off dealing Phaneuf for nothing as at least when we'd be free of Stajan's terrible contract.

Earlier today the Calgary Flames announced the trade of Dion Phaneuf along with Freddie Sjostrom and prospect Keith Aulie to the Maple Leafs for Niklas Hagman, Matt Stajan, Ian White, and Jamaal Mayers. As I've faithfully worn my Phaneuf jersey to games for the past four years, this news was initially very upsetting to me. I've now had some time to really break down the deal, and I have a lot of different thoughts I'll list below:

(1) Phaneuf was overpaid for his production and hasn't shown a huge amount of progression since his rookie season.
(2) Phaneuf has a great deal of potential and it was thought that bringing in his former junior coach Brent Sutter would help his game. His defensive game in his own end did improve some this year.
(3) Nik Hagman is a solid and probably somewhat underrated LW who is signed for two more years. Stajan is a UFA after this year and Ian White an RFA who (also being quite underrated) will be due for a decent pay raise. Mayers is basically a 4th line bubble player at this point in his career.
(4) I would have thought we could have received better compensation for Dion. This trade does net the Flames some cap relief at the very worst.
(5) Things just don't add up. If Phaneuf was a cancer in the room or wanted out, he wouldn't have been so emotional about being dealt. If he wasn't a cancer in the room would Darryl Sutter really trade the only player he's ever hugged at the draft? Would Brent Sutter sign off on trading the guy he coached for years in Red Deer and then at the WJHC?
(6) Freddie Sjostrom has been almost a non-factor for us this year, but has been playing better when he got a chance of late. He seemed like a really nice guy and his comments at the press conference ("I wish I had played better so they'd kept me") really were heartbreaking. Giving up a quality prospect like Aulie hurts, but we do have a lot of D in the pipeline ahead of him.

Anyway, thanks for the memories Dion. I'll miss the open ice hits the most I think. This news has completely demotivated me today, so I doubt I'll get any poker in. Late tonight I'll post a monthly review that should boost my spirits a little.