Anybody suggesting we win on gleason for JJ needs to step back from jr's punch bowl. Regardless, this is an issue even I have tired of arguing about. We panicked and traded a top prospect for an average joe who could play now, with a couple other peices thrown in both ways to make it more "even". It was a risky trade, and impossible to say how things would be different.
I personally hated both the JJ and Ladd trades. Neither helped us, and its always easier to root for our own kids IMO, and both of those players are guys we currently lack stylistically that would be nice to have. The players we got are likeable and valuable in their own right, but its hard to argue in either case we traded future for now. It is what it is. Jr has never been afraid to roll those dice, and did again this past summer. It's ok to slam jr for it, I've watched him do it since 95. It's painful. Still not all of them are bad moves, and defending them in the name of making the team better now is fair too. I just hate that style. Draft well, develop your kids. Don't panic. Still it's over and let's focus on the staal trade if we need to argue over potential risky trades. We could've had jstaal for free in 6 months. We knew a lockout was coming. Better to get your guy when you're sure you can? I'm ok with it. I like Jstaal and think sutter was always gonna struggle to develop here.
