ToneDog
56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Dubas has been trying to support the core when they believe that they are close to going all the way. For as much of a disaster as Barrie was this year, he was at least playing okay hockey on the third pair around the trade deadline. Looking forward to playoffs where he was pretty good in an Avs uniform, I don't see why Dubas would have wanted to make the team worse on purpose. And considering that Liljegren really wasn't ready at all this year, hoping he could fill in for Barrie's minutes would have been another mistake.Things obviously didn't work out with Barrie in the playoffs either (woof), but what's the point in trading an NHL defenseman for a bag of pucks when you're looking to go into the playoffs? Depth wins, even when your depth is one dimensional like Barrie.
I was arguing to trade Barrie at the deadline, but that's because I thought the team needed the vote of non-confidence from management to light a fire under them. But I also think that it's a huge stretch to criticize GM's for keeping their rentals heading into the playoffs. Lou did it, Dubas does it, the next guy will do it too.
Agree with you but by pulling out of the Bogo sweepstakes after the loss to Ayres they pretty much sent a message that management did not think this team was good enough to add. If you are not a buyer at the TDL then you gotta be a seller of your UFAs and let the chips fall where they might. They were not beating TB who added bigtime at the TDL.