Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
Yeah the team was trying to address character issues - as they had gone through a period of time with a lot of lazy but skilled players. So then they swung the other way and traded for hard working but unskilled players.
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That's being kind, I think Al Coates was just a bad GM.
Look at his overall piece of work.
Nieuwendyk for Iginla & Millen: Worked out great because Iggy turned out but a prospect and a journeyman center really isn't that great a return for a guy who was a top center in the league. Very lucky it was Iggy and not Todd Harvey who was the other name rumoured.
Housley & Keczmer for Albelin, Hulse, Lemieux: Barf
Reichel for McInnis & Garner: Yuck
Kidd and Roberts for Cassels and Giguere: Would have been better if the next GM kept Giguere, but still not good.
Nylander for Nazarov
Fleury & Dingman for Belak, Corbet, 2nd Rounder, Regehr: Luckily Regehr turned out but still not a great return for a guy who was a top 20 player in the league at the time.
A lot of skilled pieces were sent out with Coates as GM, and in the end we had very little to show for it.