Although it's natural to compare to the Gilmour trade -- and I plead guilty myself -- that would be unfair. First, Gilmour was an actual superstar, while Phaneuf has the ability to be a superstar but isn't; a big difference. Second, the Flames did actually get some value back; Leeman was completely done, no longer even an NHL caliber player, and that was obvious from his first game. Hagman is at least pretty good, and Stajan and White are certainly better than anyone the Flames got in the Gilmour deal. So this isn't as bad.
Still, I wouldn't have made it. Phaneuf still has the ability to be an outstanding defenseman, while nothing the Flames got back has anything like that ability. It doesn't make the Flames a championship calibre team now, and it certainly doesn't help them much in the future unless they do something really impressive with the cap space. The trade has at least a 25% chance of being a disaster without an impressive upside; I don't like the odds, even if it's nowhere near as idiotic as the Gilmour trade.
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