Dozens of tangential issues sprouted in my mind upon hearing the news of the trade last night. The timing, the reasons, the impact on the ice, the salary cap and the implications for the Flames beyond this season.
I'll start, however, by stating Im somewhat sorry to see Ference go. As a player, I think he'd made significant strides this season towards being a solid and consistent defender. He almost always gave 100% and was very durable. I will admit, had this deal been announced at this time last season, I would have bought anyone nearby a drink in order to toast his departure. He was my favorite Flames whipping boy last season, owing to his penchant for comitting baffling, defensive-zone gaffes at inopportune times. For example; remember when he passed the puck into the side of the Flames night last night for no apparent reason? He did that kind of stuff a lot last year.
Not so much this year though. Freed of Warrener (which may be a not insignificant point) Ference has been surprisingly stout and relatively dumb-mistake free all year. He was never going to be a top four guy, but was swiftly rounding into an almost equally valuable commodity - the relatively cheap but ultimately effective depth defenseman.
Ference - the person - also has other qualities ouside of the rink. He was always good for a quote on a substantive issue. He went to the mat for his teammates and was, no doubt, a good dressing room presence. He seemed to genuinely love Calgary. And he wasn't above "mingling with the commoners" - in fact, he would frequently contribute to the Calgarypuck community under the alias "Okotoker". His farewell, posted shortly after he discovered he'd been traded, can be found here. The subsequent responses and reactions to his departure will give you the sense of his impact on team and fans alike.
For his part, Charles "Shazam!" Kobasew basically played himself into obsolesence this year. I like Chuck - his gumption, his work ethic and his potential - but, for whatever reason, he couldn't seem to put it altogether in Flames colors. He struggled mightily this season, managing less goals than David Moss in more games. In fact, the contrast between the two players efficacy in similar roles no doubt rendered Kobasew expendable.
So long Chuck! I'll miss your Kamikaze attitude and rare hat-trick. I won't miss your inability to dodge checks or play well for more than a game at a time.
Of course, Brad Stuart, he of prior Calgary Hitmen fame, is the centerpiece in this deal. I think, like many of the more attuned fans, Sutter had grown weary of the big, obvious "4th d-man" void that loomed large every evening beside Robyn Regehr. At this point, I think a sizable portion of the big guy's issues this season can be associated with his lack of a capable partner. None of Warrener, Ference or Zyuzin were able to get the job done consistently, all being of the 5th-7th d-man pedigree. Giordano is a revelation, but still not top-4 capable. The enduring and fruitful synthesis of Phaneuf and Hamrlik meant a rotating tie-rack of less than top-notch partners for Regehr all season, and his play frequently suffered for it. My hope, and no doubts Sutter's as well, is that Stuart can step in and effectively solidify Calgary's top 4 (and allow guys like Warrener and Zyuzin to comfortably slide back to 15-18 minutes/night). In addition, Stuart apparently has a booming shot and an ability to contribute offensively from time to time, which means the Flames may finally have someone else that can play the point on the PP besides Phaneuf (which was one of my laments back in the All-Star Break Data Dump post).
Wayne Primeau - the "throw-in" player - is a big guy that can win face-offs and crash in the corners. He seems somewhat redundant, considering the mess of 3rd/4th line players the Flames possess (Yelle, Ritchie, Godard, Friesen, Amonte, Nilson, Conroy) three of whom are already centers, but...he's big, he's mean and he can actually win a draw. All of these are qualities the Flames can use, especially come play-off time. I wouldn't expect him to be re-signed by Calgary in the off-season, however.
The latter point, in terms of Stuart, may be the most important one when it comes to the deal in the long-run. If Sutter is unable to re-sign the 27 year-old defenseman, which, Im assuming is his ultimate goal here, then the Flames basically dealt away two relatively young, cheap and capable roster players for 30+ games of Brad Stuart. I've no doubt that the message from Sutter here is "let's win now!", but it would still surprise me if Darryl didn't make this swap with some kind of eye to the future.
As it stands, Calgary has all of their d-corps signed through next year with the exception of Hamrlik (UFA), Giordano (RFA) and now Stuart (UFA). Both Stuart and Hamrlik could probably command in the $4 million+ range for their next contract, meaning one but not both could be potentially re-signed by the club. With all due respect to Hammer and what he's accomplished here, Stuart is probably the preferable choice. He's 27 to Hamrlik's 33 and is more likely to contribute offensively. I guess the hope is Stuart likes his time here during the remainder of this season and is willing to entertain contract negotations with Calgary come summer.
So, overall, I like the trade. It shores up the Flames blueline (even more) and makes it one of (if not the most) fearsome collection of defenders in the league. It communicates to players and fans alike that the Flames are putting the pedal to the metal in the stretch drive AND it garnered valuable commodities from what were previously a spare part from Pittsburgh (Ference) and an unknown Flames draft pick (Kobasew). Naturally, the proof will be in the pudding, so if Stuart somehow turns out to be another Zyuzin misstep, or if he walks in the off-season, my perception of the swap may be less rosy in the near future. Till then, color me satisfied.
(PS - It can't be overstated how perversly amused I am that Sutter snatched Stuart away from KLowe and the Edmonton Oilers. How galling it must be for some of our neighbours to the North to see Calgary swap a guy who could play in their top 4 for a guy who could play in their top 2. "The rich get richer", that old, envious sentiment, is no doubt making the rounds amongst many of the unfortunate stinktowners today.)
