Sutter Ships Jokinen and Prust to New York for Kotalik and Higgins...HUH?

Has Darryl Sutter been poisoned? Tricked somehow? Is he sick? Blind, maybe?

Probably not. But the Rangers-Flyers trade that saw Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust head to the Big Apple for Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins does prove one thing about the Flames General Manager.

Boy, is he desperate.

So desperate, in fact, that he willingly allowed Glen Sather to pass off the horrendous three-year, $9 million deal that Kotalik signing with the Rangers this summer.

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is where I'm completely lost.

Part of the rationale behind the Dion Phaneuf trade was to free up future cap space. But now, with the arrival of Niklas Hagman and his contract for two more years at $3 million a year in addition to the two more years at $3 million a season of Kotalik, the $6.5 million a year that Phaneuf was due to make is essentially filled up for the '10-'11 and '11-'12 seasons.

Let's look at the two Calgary trades as a whole:

IN: Niklas Hagman (2 more years at $3 mil cap hit), Ales Kotalik (2 more years at $3 mil cap hit), Matt Stajan (UFA), Jamal Mayers (UFA), Ian White (RFA), Chris Higgins (UFA)

OUT: Dion Phaneuf (4 more years at $6.5 mil cap hit), Fredrik Sjostrom (1 more year at $750,000 cap hit), Olli Jokinen (UFA), Brandon Prust (RFA)

So financially, Sutter saves $1.25 million in cap space for next season, $500,000 the following season, and obviously Phaneuf's $6.5 million each of the two seasons after.

Why, Darryl? Why?

Hagman is an average to slightly below average top-six winger. Kotalik is a power play specialist who failed to do his job with the Rangers and is legitimately a substandard NHL forward at even strength. They alone make nearly as much as Phaneuf would have!

If Sutter thinks Kotalik and Higgins will turn it around, he has much more faith in them than I do. Forget Higgins' speed and size - he doesn't have nearly a high enough offensive hockey IQ, the hands, or the shooting ability to be the goal scorer a handful in the hockey world are still deluded enough to think he'll become. Higgins will work hard and play sound defensive hockey, but the Flames already have plenty of those types of forwards.

The Toronto trade made sense - this one, not even close.

From a Rangers' perspective - well played, Sather, well played.

There is absolutely no risk involved in this trade for the Rangers. Kotalik was virtually already off the team, being scratched in nine of the Rangers' last ten, while Higgins had contributed a meager six goals and 14 points this season. The Rangers, too, have plenty of defensive wingers, meaning Higgins will not be missed, at all.

In Jokinen, the Rangers obtain an underachieving first line talent who will be given a great chance to succeed in a new environment. He will be given a shot at centering the top line with Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal tonight, and Rangers fans can only hope he will develop more chemistry with Gaborik than he did with Jarome Iginla in Calgary. Even if that chemistry never comes to fruition, the Rangers overall offense will still be better than it was before the trade.

In Prust, the Rangers get a much-needed tough guy. Donald Brashear has been useless all season and Aaron Voros works hard but loses a majority of his fights. Prust is second in the NHL with 18 fighting majors.

The biggest reason this trade was a victory for the Rangers? Kotalik's contract is off of the books.

First, Scott Gomez, now Ales Kotalik. Like him or not, you got to give "Slats" credit.

Great trade for the Rangers.