On the other hand, every single source I checked (the local guys as well as TheScore .com, The Hockey News, CBS Sports and ESPN) referred to us as one of the "winners" of the trade deadline. They like his skating skills, shot, improved scoring this season on a weaker Ducks team, and the fact that he'll likely be a good fit on the 2nd line with Malkin feeding him (and not Max Comtois).
The biggest problem I have with the trade is the constant "mortgage the future for the here and now" approach. We've now traded away our 2nd, 3rd and 7th round picks for 2022. We traded away our 1st, 3rd, 4th and 6th picks in 2021; 1st pick in 2020; 2nd and 4th in 2019; 1st, 3rd, 4th and 7th in 2018. In other words, since we've last won the Cup, we're ALWAYS mortgaging the future for the here and now. And we've had little playoff success since then. And now our minor league system is a disaster, just about the lowest-rated minor league system in the entire NHL the last two seasons.
