IceNeophyte
Registered User
- Nov 14, 2017
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What message do you want to send to the fans, the guys in the locker room, the other teams around the league?
A lot goes to what is the (locker room/front office) CULTURE of VGK? We know based on Shipachyov that the team is based on merit, not favoritism, and willing to draw a line (and stand behind it) when things don't work out. Hard work was the hallmark last season. There was also a (fleeting?) emotional drawing together of the team based on the shared shake up (Golden Misfits, expansion draft) and becoming focal point for region after 10/1/17 (Vegas Strong).
A trade just to check a box is ridiculous. You (usually) trade for need (acquiring missing piece) or "sell" to get something for expiring asset (as described in OP).
Making a trade "because" things aren't good is a bad message in the locker room. Adds to players' anxieties that they could be the one to go if a shake up is needed. (Even with NTC or NMC, there are ways of "pressuring" a player to accept a trade.) (A trade to remove an issue is something else.)
Also, depending on the person traded, what does that mean to other pending UFA/RFA? Could how the deal goes down mean that player won't re-sign with team for any reason?
A GM's job is not easy, regardless of the angst experienced in your personal arm chair. If things aren't going well, most teams will rather trade you an anchor rather than a new engine to help you along the way. So to get what you do "want" (to improve your team), you might have to pay a higher price than if things weren't as dire. (And trading in your division and/or conference may result in higher prices as well.)
1/4 of the season is gone. Schmidt has returned. Need to see how his return helps. Stastny and Haula injuries don't help.
But perhaps the most need right now is either confidence for Subban or a new backup goalie (perhaps recalled from Chicago). Offensive help might be nice, but that's not cheap (unless it's a callup).
This is an excellent post. As an example of not trading just for a shakeup, observe while the Coyotes don't improve after trading two good assets for one slightly better. Trading off players because they underperform, to me, points more at a coaching failure than a player failure. And if it is a coaching failure, why do they think Tochett will get something out of Schmalz that he couldn't get out of the two they sent?