Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Major
I am not commenting on whether to trade his rights this off season. I am talking about this "get control back" narrative of telling him he is traded before his NTC kicks in with no deal. That is what would paint him into a corner. That is what diminishes BT's control. That is what closes the window on an extension and lets the whole league know that you need to trade this undersized winger coming off 2 consecutive down years. It would have been a massive fail.
Instead, he kept the window wide open for extending, a deadline deal should the team underperform, extending after the season. He increased the team's viability to win which was not that unrealistic going into the playoffs. He simply increased the number of positive outcomes that the situation could have ended in. He was able to make a great case for Gaudreau to stay and I think the probability was high all the way to the end. Sometimes the low probability thing happens. Oh well, move on.
|
Having an impending star UFA actually walk to free agency is not low probability at all. Infact, it is a highly probably outcome going into the final year of a deal, and one that most of the fanbase was highly concerned about all season.
Simply allowing things to get to that point as a GM is downright idiotic (you have to pursue an extension the previous offseason), but allowing the decision to quite literally go to the league imposed deadline, only hours from free agency opening is even worse. The simple fact so much hinged on getting that deal with Guadreau done (signing Tkachuk, pursuing replacement's via trade or free agency) speaks volumes for how detached management was from even considering they might not be able to close.