What about last year trades made the window next season? Obviously the bid is why, but let's say they lose the bid (because if they win the bid then you go all-in next year and there are no questions to be asked). But okay in this hypothetical they just lost the bid for next year.
They traded Studnicka/Brassard for Moore so if anything wouldn't it make more sense if they lose the bid to wait and see how the start is next year and if they don't get off to a great start and/or McShane/Vallati don't get sent back as OAs then you build around the Suni/Tullio/Moore as elite 19 year olds and Paputsakis as an Elite OA goalie team in 2 years? Usually when you trade your Team Canada stud for an elite rookie, you end up building around when that elite rookie is 19, so the trades last year probably make more sense to go for it in 2 years (if they don't win the bid)
Hunt has just played this very well because really any year he can turn the team into a title contender with so many picks that he has stockpiled. But because of that, there's no need to do what KIT did this year and say okay this is going to be our year and then you get off to a brutal start and are like oh wait, maybe we should've waited a year
The point is Hunt feels next season is a great opportunity to win an OHL Championship and he is aligning his roster towards that. IT is also the year his windows opens to bid again for a Memorial Cup Host which is great.
I don’t think, as management, you can play both sides of the fence. I think. If he were to do that, he’d end up not winning anything.
If Harley is available now and he is traded, the Generals need to take the lead on that opportunity. Him and Drysdale should battle it out next year for the Kominsky Trophy. If they have a chance to bring in a player that can dominate the ice from the back end as much as he can, they need to do it. It takes care of one piece needed next year and that, in turn, lessens the heavy lifting next year.
I think they should be going after Tomasino heavy this year as well. If there is any way to get him off Niagara now instead of next year, do it. There is a lot of value in being highly competitive this year as well as next year and those two year player trades are golden for a team poised as well as Oshawa is.
Hypothetically speaking, if Oshawa were able to get a decent return for Noel, brink in Harley and Tomasino, and make a couple more interesting moves to push a couple extra assets forward to next year, they’d be sitting very pretty. That would leave them with the Perfetti deal next year. Maybe add an OA Cedric Andree as well for the net? If they get Vallati and McShane back next year as OA’s, that would set them up very nicely.