I liked the deal from New Jersey’s persepctive.
No one was expecting them to make the playoffs, and when they were chasing a playoff spot come the trade deadline, Shero rewarded his team.
I think it’s important for GMs to be able to read and manage the morale of their team, and acquiring help as they were chasing a playoff spot is a huge way to recognize their success and maintain high morale.
Making the playoffs, even if you’re not expecting to win the Cup, builds that hunger and a winning culture.
As a NYI fan, they didn’t even sniff the playoffs for so many years under Tavares that losing just became normal. Ryan O’Reilly spoke about a similar mindset in his exit meeting about this past season with Buffalo. You don’t want your prized #1 pick (Hischier) to fall into that same void. It’s a dangerous place to be and one that is almost impossible to get out of.
Toronto did the same thing last year with bringing in Boyle and such. Was Toronto really expecting to win a Cup? Don’t think so, but you’ve got all these young pieces (Matthews, Marner, Nylander, etc.), and you want them to get a taste of what it’s
like to play for a Stanley Cup. The mentality becomes instilled in players’ mindsets from very early on in the NHL.