The people are: Sean Avery, and Anders Eriksson.
Avery, traded by the Red Wings to the Los Angeles Kings in the Mathieu Schneider trade in 2003, is an impact player, who's now with the New York Rangers, his services desired by a team going into a playoff run. Eriksson, traded to the Blackhawks in 1999 as part of the Chris Chelios deal, is scuffling along with the Columbus Blue Jackets, among the dregs of the league, and isn't impacting much of anything.
If you wanted to catgerorize the young players the Red Wings have dealt away over the past 10+ years of Stanley Cup contention/being buyers at the trading deadline, you could do a lot worse than list them under the headers "Avery" and "Eriksson."
Williams looked to be a contender for the Avery column. He had a terrific year last season, scoring 21 goals, and was rewarded with a two-year contract. But injuries and lack of production placed him in disfavor with coach Mike Babcock. Now he's been banished to Chicago, which isn't going to be winning anything anytime soon.
It's looking like Williams is in danger of falling under the "Eriksson" header.
Williams: Out of the doghouse, into the NHL slum
There are ex-Red Wings dotting the NHL landscape, and many are out there, no longer in Detroit, because they were traded away to acquire pieces to a puzzle that a few times have been completed, but often times weren't. Such is life in team sports, where only one team can call itself a champion. In 1997, 1998, and 2002, the Red Wings found their missing pieces. The other seasons, the ones that ended with first or second round failure, those pieces apparently didn't fit. Again, such is life.
Jason Williams is no longer a Red Wing because he didn't produce enough goals to justify his distinct lack of physical play, an ingredient that is, once again, considered to be the team's missing piece. His style isn't as attractive when you only chip in 11 goals in 58 games, which was Williams' output as a Wing this season. The new guy, Calder, impressed folks with his grit, and scored a goal and had an assist in his first game wearing the winged wheel. He scored a goal during his very first shift as a Red Wing.
Todd Bertuzzi is coming to town, too, and much to the glee of Wing Nuts who would have you believe that the team didn't stand a chance in the Western Conference playoffs without a behemoth such as Bertuzzi roaming up and down the wings, and camping himself in front of the opposing net. Actually, this time those Nuts might not be far off the mark. An imposing figure like Bertuzzi, who's not only huge but has the deft hands of a smaller, more skilled player, can't possibly hurt the cause, I wouldn't think. He won't be available for a few weeks, due to his recuperation from back surgery, but the cost wasn't horrific, and his value was judged for the playoffs, not the regular season.
Calder (top) and Bertuzzi: doing the dirty work that Williams wouldn't?
Mark Howe, the former NHL defenseman, works for the Red Wings as an advanced scout. He lives in Philadelphia, and saw a lot of Calder as he played his first season as a Flyer. It was Howe, GM Ken Holland said, who recommended the team acquire Calder. I figure Gordie's kid knows a thing or two.
As for Bertuzzi, his dust ups with Chris Chelios when the Canucks and Red Wings played each other in the 2002 playoffs quickly became legendary. Now they'll go to battle together, teammates in the cause.
Sports, like politics, make strange bedfellows.
Puzzle completed? Ask me in June. Or May. Or April.
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