CALGARY – The first reaction was predictable.

A fan favourite, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, one of the most respected leaders in the dressing room, and the return is a second-, third- and fourth-round pick, plus a defenceman most casual Calgary Flames fans couldn't pick out of a lineup?

It's easy to understand the initial disappointment that greeted Thursday's trade that sent Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta to Minnesota for Jake Middleton.

It's also why it's worth digging a little deeper.

Because while the draft picks may not jump off the page, the Flames believe the biggest piece of the return isn't measured in draft position.

It's measured in character, not to mention inches and pounds.

At six-foot-three and 219 pounds, Middleton arrives with sizable leadership qualities and bite.

And that matters more than people might think.

With Ryan Lomberg’s departure, Calgary lost far more than an energy winger. They lost one of the few players opponents had to think twice about crossing. On a roster getting younger by the month, that's a legitimate concern.

You don't want newbies playing scared, or ill-equipped vets feeling like they have to answer the bell every time someone takes a liberty.

Middleton makes opponents think twice.

"People respect him," said Flames GM Craig Conroy. 

"He doesn't fight much because he doesn't have to. He's a good player, but if something arises, he will come to his teammates' rescue. He will........

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