If it wasn't for Linden still following Goodenow after Big Bob started handing concessions over unprompted, maybe the players don't have to take a 24% paycut. Maybe they don't have recall waivers, maybe players like McGillis, Mogilny, McEachern, Lalime, Green, and others in the future can't be assigned to the minors on a GM's whim. Sure Linden helped restart negotiations, but when Goodenow took charge again and couldn't get an agreement done, Linden just stood by and let Goodenow lead the union over the cliff.
They had already agreed to the 24% rollback, they had already agreed to a hard cap, they really didn't have much bargaining room left after pretty much handing the owners everything they wanted. The owners clearly had the upper hand, and they wanted a $42.5M cap. Goodenow said no, Linden and the rest of the executive committee stood idly by, and when the league said it was a "take it or leave it" offer and that the season was over if they didn't take the deal on the table, the union leadership called the bluff.
We know how the rest turned out. Linden, Saskin, and the rest of the players' side struck the deal that we have now, but it's still less than what they could have had. It's a lot like saying, "Well gee, I got $15,000 for that Ferrari" when you had a $35,000 offer and someone tells you not to take it because they're sure the other person will go higher, and the offer gets pulled. It still doesn't change the fact that he had a chance with his position to pull Goodenow aside and say, "Bob - take the offer, it's the best we're going to get."
He didn't. If he did and Goodenow ignored him, I guarantee Goodenow wouldn't have been allowed to stay on for another 5 months. The rest of the players' executive committee wouldn't have tolerated Goodenow ignoring their wish to just take the deal so they could get back to playing.
That says nothing about the fact that the owners and players didn't negotiate for almost 2 months after the end of the CBA, and no one from the NHLPA - not even Linden - thought, "Gee, are we nuts? Let's get a deal done here in April so we don't have to possibly miss part or all of a season." He and the rest of the union knew that the owners would fold eventually, so why would they rush and make concessions when they could hold out and get everything they want?
I'm sure Trevor did his best, but he still cost the rest of the guys a lot of money, not to mention a year's worth of hockey.