Drafting is obviously a huge problem too. A lot of the better teams have many of their better players still signed to entry level contracts. Then you have the Flames who with their draft record under Sutter have none of those contracts to speak of. Drafting position is in part to blame, but there are always decent players to be had in later rounds as well.
Although you really can't blame Feaster for the Iginla, Stajan, Giordano, Kiprusoff, Tanguay, or obviously the Bouwmeester contract as those were all signed during the Sutter era. Then of course with Cammalleri he was at least able dump off another bad contract to get him. Too bad it also meant trading another second rounder we desperately need.
Then with Wideman and Hudler sure Feaster offered them top dollar, but at least they are doing something to earn their big contracts. Can you say the same about the other core guys? Aside from the occasional game, of course not.
I still respect Sutter, but man oh man the negative moves he made for this organization will probably continue on plaguing us for another few years.
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