I love doing exactly this and tracing back how we got to the team today. This team used to be built more on trades so it was a larger impact, but with so much home grown talent on the team like Doan, Hanzal, Yandle, Boedker, OEL, etc. it gets to a much shorter list. When you look at the rest of the team many of the holes have been filled by free agents like Whitney, Aucoin, Barbs, Smith, etc.
Vermette, Klesla, Vrbata, Morris, Rozsival, and Korpikoski are the only players on the roster that have been traded for.
Korpikoski was traded for Lisin and the chain pretty much ends there. It's pretty easy to say Korpikoski > Lisin
Rozsival is an ugly lineage though. He was traded for Wolski who had been traded for Mueller. Mueller has had injury issues but has looked great at times for the Avs. He obviously quit on the team, but most people in the league would prefer Mueller > Rozsival.
Morris was traded to Boston for a 4th round pick. Morris > 4th rounder, but a boring lineage. Vermette for a pair of picks is equally boring.
Vrbata was acquired by trading Fedoruk & Hale, both UFA's that were signed. Vrbata > Fedoruk & Hale
As previously mentioned, Klesla was traded for Upshall who was traded for Carcillo who was traded for Laraque. Klesla > Laraque.
When you add them together and you turn Fedoruk, Hale, Laraque, Mueller, Lisin and some picks for Vrbata, Morris, Vermette, Korpikoski, and Rozsival it's a pretty good upgrade.
I think Maloney had the intelligence to finally address our blueline that had been borderline suspect for years. It's gone from our weakness to strength. Let's face it though it's easier to find decent forwards in the discount bin than it is to find quality rearguards who you can play 20+mins/game without fear. Instead of rushing the dump it off the glass every shift Mathew Spiller's of the world we acquired Klesla, Roszival, and Aucoin through deals. Of course the development of Yandle and drafting of OEL took us to another level as well for the quality of our blueline.
