Vankiller Whale
Fire Benning
Business people don't think like this. The guy at the top is the leader, and he sets the culture and the norms of the organization he manages. If he is seen to be suspect, in any form, the business he runs will be negatively affected in kind.
You should care. These things are interrelated. How a GM is viewed impacts the decisions of players and other GMs that interact with him (Tom Mayanek remarks in kind with regards to Gillis, citing an uneasy path due to being a former agent). You say that results on the ice matter most, and they do, but will this impede his ability to produce the best results on ice in the future? Is he assured to maximize his results if he comes off as dim individual? No, I don't think so.
I don't think anyone would accuse Gillis of being dim. Shrewd, or perhaps even inconsiderate, sure. But just because you're angry he traded Schneider doesn't make him stupid.
The NHL is constantly changing, and just because he intended to do one thing under a previous CBA doesn't mean that after a new CBA comes in and having been ousted in a first round sweep that things can't change. Everyone, both players or other GMs are also aware of this.
And it's funny you mention the business perspective. From a business perspective, it makes a hell of a lot more sense to trade Schneider than to buy out Luongo. I've told you this before, but you didn't want to believe me. It happened, and it's time to move on now, for better or worse.
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