One of the things I am most excited about this trade is not just the point production from Neal, but if he plays with Gaudreau on the top line, Gaudreau will be more freed up than ever in his career to be creative and produce.
In previous seasons we saw stretches where Gaudreau was the total focus of the defense and he was often double teamed, making it difficult for him to move around effectively. I feel that Neal immediately brings a relief in this area as he will torch you if you try to over-invest on Gaudreau. I really hope they start him on that top line.
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