Bennings logic for the Toffoli trade was sound. He obviously was trying to salvage a season (and his job) in which the team had been arcing towards the playoffs and then flailing losing 2 top6 right wingers Boeser Leivo as well as Markstrom to injury. If he stood by and did nothing everyone would be second guessing him also.
And
@Luckylarry lots of teams have made moves to improve their teams even as 8 seeds. With the way you guys are talking then Pat Quinn should have never traded for Jeff Brown in 94. And saying we wasted the assets without knowing Toffoli's future with the team, how Madden looks as a pro nor how this season ends is also being conclusive to an open ended story.
I think i share the view that we would be better served to have planned for a major push come 21/22 and beyond with having Petey and Hughes emergence as top players in the league but needing to add defensive acumen and strength, but my ass is not on the line so it's easy for me to feel that way.
You should be aware at this point that Benning does not subscribe to your paradigm that we shall build and build until a certain date in the future. He obviously has been feeling the pressure since he made all the moves last summer to take the next step and be a playoff team. If he fails he likely gets canned and all his work is for not.
To answer a few questions
@Bleach Clean and
@VanillaCoke. I don't think we were a Toffoli away from a cup and every deadline deal with a UFA that walks looks like a waste when you don't win.