I don't have a ton of love for Sutter's tenure as GM, but here are some things for context:
Sutter was not in a position of need to prioritize the draft. Now, Cliff, I know that's potentially guffaw worthy, but hear me out.
I think Drafting is the single most important function of a franchise and greatest indicator of success long term. However, when you have a mature core group and have demonstrated the ability to compete for the Division and potentially do damage in the playoffs, you make moves with the draft as a secondary consideration. Drafting a new core isn't really a priority when you feel you already have one.
No one is faulting the penguins this year for trading some serious picks/assets. You can find fault with the individual deals, sure, but, not the spirit of it. When you have a mature core group and think winning is within your grasp, you do what is necessary to improve your chances. You trade prospects and picks to augment your roster now and deal with the fallout a couple of years later, by dealing pieces from that same core to improve your drafting position.
With the benefit of hindsight we can see that some of those Flames teams, especially the 2009-2010 team, was just not good enough. At the time though, trading 1sts and seconds and thirds for depth that they thought would help their chances in the playoffs is an acceptable direction.
Where Darryl and Jay differ significantly is that Darryl was making trades from the position of being 1st or 2nd in the Division and 5 years in the playoffs. Feaster on the other hand is making deals (or not making them) from the position of being a non-playoff team for 2,3,4 years.
Trading 2nd round picks is one thing if you've been to games 6 and 7 in the first round in consecutive years and feel that you're one or two depth players or one significant acquisition away from getting out of that 1st round.
Trading 2nd round picks after 2 years out of the playoffs so you can make a huge, blunderous free agent offer to bolster a non-playoff team that is clearly on decline is another thing altogether.
Those are serious, fundamental miscalculations, and arguably, none of this rebuild was Feasters idea. It was forced upon him because the franchise player wanted out. If this was a conscious rebuild, Calgary would have accumulated more picks instead of the bare minimum.
The overarching tenure of Feaster is half-measures, blunders and buzz words.
"I don't think trading for late round picks improves a hockey club."
That's coming from the General Manager of a hockey team that is apparently rebuilding. Lard Thurderin' Jeezus, we're going to be in for a long rebuild if that's the attitude.
|