Recently the Toronto Maple Leafs sent captain Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa, then followed it up with trading Shawn Matthais to Colorado on Sunday. While there is much discussion regarding who got the better end of the deal, sometimes the results are not fully known or understood for years. Even then it can be difficult to judge how good of a trade it truly was as each move affects future decisions made by the team, creating the ultimate what if scenarios.
The effect moving players have on a team goes beyond what the player brings to the ice once acquired.