Peter Stastny says Avalanche GM 'destroyed the team' with trade

Before heeding the wisdom of Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Stastny on the blockbuster Colorado Avalanche trade that sent Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk to the St. Louis Blues for Erik Johnson and Jay McClement, you have to consider the messenger. 

Stastny retired as a Blue. He worked for the organization as a scout. He's lived in St. Louis, where his son Paul grew up. His loyalties and connections to the Colorado Avalanche are far fewer: They have a contract with Paul Stastny and they used to be Peter's old team, the Quebec Nordiques. That's about it.

So take that into consideration when reading Stastny's scorching take on the trade and Colorado GM Greg Sherman, whom he believes just royally screwed the development of his son's team.

From the Denver Post, via St. Louis radio station KMOX (audio here):

"This young team was ready to challenge, almost, for a Stanley Cup this season. They were so good. All they needed was some more chemistry, and some synergies. Instead, they destroyed the team. I mean, that was a one-way deal. Mr. Armstrong will look like a genius. I don't know what they were thinking in the Colorado organization. I should not have said this, but I'm so, so mad what they've done to this team. They've moved the team about two to three years back again."

And with that, Peter Stastny called up Tomas Kaberle's dad and asked, "So how'd I do?" ...

This hyperbole on top of bombast on top of a father's concern that his son is locked into Denver through 2014. It's a four-player deal, and Peter's acting like it's a Lindrosian reshaping of the roster.

Did this trade move the team back two or three years, or was this team actually two or three years away despite its stunning success last season? That's the debate, along with whether what the Avs surrendered for Erik Johnson ends up being fair value. And that's mostly on Erik Johnson to decide.

Ah, hockey dads. This was basically criticizing the coach on cut day, only on an epic scale.

Meanwhile, via reader Matt Kozlowski ... do we detect Cee-Lo Green's "F.U." on the organ after Johnson's goal Tuesday night? (And is commonplace at Blues' games? Because if so ... awesome.)

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