Sutter bashed for blockbuster trades
Posted Feb 2, 2010 11:32 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter is in the hot seat over his recent trades with Toronto and New York.
Over a 48-hour period Sutter has made two major deals in which Dion Phaneuf, Olli Jokinen, Fredrik Sjostrom, Brandon Prust and prospect Keith Aulie were all dealt away.
In return, Calgary received six players from the Maple Leafs and the Rangers. A number of them have contracts that are up at the end of the season.
These moves by Sutter aren’t going over well with everyone.
“This is all just desperation. He’s like the Titanic’s captain trying to figure out what to do after the iceberg has hit…I just think this team, one way or another, is going down,” Globe and Mail sports columnist Bruce Dowbiggin tells 660News.
He believes crazy deals like these have been a long time in the making because Sutter has failed to properly draft players and develop young talent.
“The only young guy he’s had and developed is Dion Phaneuf and now he’s abandoned him. I think this team could be the (current) Edmonton Oilers in two years. There’s nobody coming up through the pipeline in terms of prospects,” says Dowbiggin.
He adds the future of the Flames has been dealt away, pointing out Keith Aulie was one of the best prospects we’ve had and now he’s in Toronto.
Dowbiggin believes Sutter isn’t done with these trades and we could see another package deal before the NHL trade deadline on March 3.
“To see what was one of the top five franchises in the league several years ago at this state and where it’s going, it’s sad,” Dowbiggin tells 660News.
All of the new Flames from the recent trades should be in the line up tomorrow when Calgary takes on the Carolina Hurricanes.
