I never said NHL GMs didn't know he was available. Of course they knew he was being shopped. We knew he was being shopped before July too. The rumors and reports that have come out this summer go way beyond "being shopped" and into "possibly permanently damaged relationship" territory. The Habs are only putting more pressure on themselves to trade him, and that affects their leverage.
The Habs have no acted any different than any other team who had a player heading into his last year as a UFA.
This is only a story because it's the Montreal Canadiens.
Did anyone make the same links with the Sabres and ROR? And there was a ton more that leaked out about their relationship (or lack there of) and yet, no one ever suggested the Sabres wouldn't get appropriate value for ROR.
Or what about the Ottawa Senators & Erik Karlsson...look at all the crap that's leaked out of Ottawa and their relationship with their superstar.
The Montreal Canadiens are allowed to shop Max Pacioretty, why is that frowned upon exactly? They aren't dragging him through the mud like the Sabres with ROR or the Avs with Duchene or the Canes with Skinner.
There's no difference.
They have made all these things public by letting them leak. None of this drama should have come out at all.
I suppose I understand your point, if you're of the opinion the Habs were responsible for leaking that story.
I can't for the life of me think of a good reason why they would though.