Quote:
Originally Posted by Saqe
Zito 100% didn't want to pay Huberdeau his money, the trade speaks for itself. The trade was considered a win by everyone at the time for the Flames.
Zito did an interview a while ago which hit the nail in the head where he said that sometimes you have to "lose" the trade if you believe the end result is better for your team. I can't help but think he was talking about this trade.
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I personally never thought the Panthers lost on that deal even from the moment it was made. It was a smart hockey move.
Looking at their cap situation, it was pretty likely that they wouldn't be able to keep both Weegar and Huberdeau after the following season. Tkachuk being younger and a player with similar offensive upside and just generally a more intense player, was well worth the price they paid. The alternative would have likely been to re-sign an older Huberdeau to the same money they signed Tkachuk for, and then let Weegar walk after the year anyway. So really, in the trade they gave up one year of service of Weegar potentially 9 years of a mostly post peak Huberdeau, for 8 years of Tkachuk, almost all peak years. And all it took to sweeten the pot was a (likely) late 1st rounder and average prospect in Schwindt.
There was no doubt in my mind that Florida was getting back the best player in the trade when you consider the type of player he is and his age. Although I have to admit that Weegar helps alleviate the pain.