LightningStrikes
Champa Bay Lightning
- Nov 24, 2009
- 26,063
- 9,772
What I understand is that Yzerman would only do the Coburn trade if he was able to compensate for the picks lost in that trade via another trade. The picks we got in the Connolly trade were not part of the Coburn trade package: Connolly got us two 2nd rounders, Coburn cost us a 1st and a 3rd. The Connolly trade was not some kind of condition for Philly to give up Coburn or vice versa.What do you mean why? Yzerman has said that without the Connolly trade, the Coburn trade probably doesn't happen. Or am I misunderstanding your question? That we don't make it as far? You think we would've gotten this far riding Carle-Sustr even more?
Yzerman wanted to have a certain amount of "higher" draft picks in his cookie jar, to be "safe" in that regard but I think it's a legit question to ask why trade Connolly in March and not June/July. He pulled the trigger because the two 2nd rounders were available back then. It was the safe route to go and maybe he didn't expect us to go as far as the SCF but the move arguably hurt our forward depth (no way JAM gets the call or Morrow plays the final 5 minutes when we're down a goal with Connolly available).
With that said hindsight is always 20/20. For all we know Namestnikov could've stepped up and nobody would question a bottom-6 trade like this one now.