So I heard the translated transcript of MB talking about the Subban trade.
Even people who hate the trade can’t reasonably expect him to say it was a bad move. Ultimately time will judge.
My issue is that one of his comments, paraphrasing, is that “at the time I made the trade, several other NHL GMs thought it was a great deal for us.”
To me, this is intellectually weak. Your job is not subject to peer review or approval, so on the first instance it is wholly irrelevant. Secondly, it’s a laze groupthink/appeal to authority argument. “Here I am, running with the herd.” Ultimately you want to separate yourself from your peers, which requires independent thinking and the courage of your convictions.
In hockey culture, Shea Weber is universally lauded. Regardless of your thoughts on the trade, Poile was willing to go against the old guard and make the trade. He wasn’t looking for plaudits from Babcock, Yzerman etc.
Time will judge the trade, it always does. In the final evaluation, nobody says “the other GMs thought it was a good deal”.
Again - I wholly expect him to defend the trade, but this specific justification grates. I think it speaks to his old guard way of thinking.