Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
lol, Feaster brought in as the hatchet man.
Not. Even. Close.
The Flames didn't even realize they were trading Iginla until a month or two before the deadline.
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That's actually not quite true.
At the conclusion of the 2011-12 season, during the year-end wrap up, Feaster spoke with Iginla at the possibility of him moving if things don't work out the next season. The conversation came up again during training camp of the 2012-13 season. Remember the whole "Iginla might not sign with the Calgary Flames" talk?
I agree with you that Feaster was NOT brought in to be the hatchet man, however. I believe him when he said that he thinks this team can make a run, and tried to keep that core together.
I do think that Feaster was conniving, deceitful and incompetent. His media availabilities made me cringe often, and I do think it was an embarrassing time as a fan. I was very happy to have him move on. He was rightfully turfed for his handling of his trades and his 'plans'. He single-handedly turned this organization into a joke of a franchise, and I will be shocked if he ever sees another management opportunity again.
However, he did do some good.
1) He stopped trading picks - especially higher picks - in the season leading to the rebuild. I guess you can argue that his 'go for it plan' was not going for it, but doing something half-assed I guess, but I was happy to not see picks being traded away.
2) He lifted restrictions on the draft. I mean, his own incompetence forced him to rely on the experts. I like this approach. However, it wasn't so night and day like it was under Sutter anyway - Button still valued Wotherspoon over Kucherov, for example (in combination with him thinking that Kucherov would be available later - though thankfully he got Gaudreau right!).
3) He hired more personnel for the scouting department. I think he took Sutter's ball and ran with it. Sutter had been enlarging the scouting department already, and the organization was placing a greater emphasis on drafting as a whole under Sutter, but good on Feaster to continue with that vision.
4) He hired Bob Hartley and gave the players the mandate that it wasn't ok to lose. The culture on this team completely changed from one season to the next.
It wasn't all bad. It was, however, terrible as a whole and downright embarrassing as a fan to cheer for an organization that was often the butt of a jokes.
There was no excusing the lack of talent he received in trades, and Bouwmeester WAS a really good defencemen under Hartley. There was ZERO reason to trade him if the returns weren't there. In 33 games under Hartley in that shortened season, Boumeester scored more goals than in any other year with the Flames.
Imagine what offers Boumeester would have gotten after a shortened season under Hartley AND another year playing in Hartley's system in which the defence figured-into a lot of the offence. I would have bet that Boumeester would have probably hit a career high under Hartley - like Giordano did, like Brodie did, like Russell did, like Wideman did... In hindsight, the safe money would be to bet on Bouwmeester attaining a career high, and it would have been the Boumeester sweepstakes the following trade deadline at worst.
Regehr was a trade in which I felt embarrassed. It wasn't just the return. It was HOW it was made. Regehr had a NMC. Feaster announced the trade to the media, and basically tried to railroad Regehr into accepting it. Regehr was of course (and rightfully so) hesitant to accept it, and he wanted to go somewhere like San Jose instead if he was being traded. I thought Feaster did Regehr a great disservice there. I thought - regardless of how people think - he was the one that bungled the Iginla trade. Again, it was embarrassing how this organization was treating their all-time greatest player who bled often for this team.
The drafting of Jankowski. Hey, I agreed with it, and I thought 100% it was the right move. But to say to the media "He will be the best player in the draft 10 years from now" is only begging for more ridicule. Make the selection, say you really like his kid and think he will be an NHL'er, and move on. I don't usually even hear about the #1 overall pick being touted by the team that drafts him as the 'best player in the draft', though one could hardly ridicule any team for thinking it (even the first few picks).
Feaster will never hold a position again in which he is allowed to make hockey decisions. Didn't do all bad, but was deservingly let go.