Like with most trades all you are grading is on a knee-jerk reaction to how you expect the deal to play out in the future. No one knows whether it was a good or bad trade, we all have thoughts about the trade but there is no right or wrong answer. Five to seven years from now someone can trudge through the archives to gloat about their thoughts on this trade and the ones that were wrong could care less that their opinion five years ago was incorrect.
For the 2014/15 season both teams win the trade. Winnipeg gets who they perceive to be the better defender as well as a winger to replace the injured Kane. Buffalo wins because they lose an active UFA forward with no current replacement coming back, are equal or a little worse on defense and are more likely to finish 30th than they were before the trade.
In the near term (next two years) Buffalo acquires a 23 year old winger that plays hard on both ends of the ice, has the ability to score 30 goals and instantly becomes our best winger. Between Myers and Bogo chances are one will be better and one will be worse but there may not be much separation. Armia should get a shot in the NHL in the next year or two but what his impact will be at the NHL level is to be determined.
Long term...who knows? Do Kane, McEichel/Reinhart and _____ become a top line in the league? Can Kane and Bogosian stay healthy? Does Bogosian continue his trend towards a defensive style of hockey and take the next step towards becoming a "shut down" player? What kind of NHL players, if they make it that far, will Armia, Lemieux and the late 1st round pick become? Will Myers emerge as the beast some think he is or will become or does he continue to play well but never take that next step?
This season is a wash, the short term probably favours Buffalo and we won't know the long term fallout for years to come.
For the 2014/15 season both teams win the trade. Winnipeg gets who they perceive to be the better defender as well as a winger to replace the injured Kane. Buffalo wins because they lose an active UFA forward with no current replacement coming back, are equal or a little worse on defense and are more likely to finish 30th than they were before the trade.
In the near term (next two years) Buffalo acquires a 23 year old winger that plays hard on both ends of the ice, has the ability to score 30 goals and instantly becomes our best winger. Between Myers and Bogo chances are one will be better and one will be worse but there may not be much separation. Armia should get a shot in the NHL in the next year or two but what his impact will be at the NHL level is to be determined.
Long term...who knows? Do Kane, McEichel/Reinhart and _____ become a top line in the league? Can Kane and Bogosian stay healthy? Does Bogosian continue his trend towards a defensive style of hockey and take the next step towards becoming a "shut down" player? What kind of NHL players, if they make it that far, will Armia, Lemieux and the late 1st round pick become? Will Myers emerge as the beast some think he is or will become or does he continue to play well but never take that next step?
This season is a wash, the short term probably favours Buffalo and we won't know the long term fallout for years to come.
