Yes, exactly. Whatever JBB's plan was at the start of the off-season, it has to be different now.
To go back a step further from your point, it seems like a distant memory but Johnson didn't start out as a clearly negative asset. The world shifted on JBB swiftly.
10/6 - It's reported that TBL is trying to receive a 1st for Johnson or Killorn; Johnson has provided a list of 5 teams that he would waive his NTC for; Killorn technically still has a full NTC for a few more days; Brisebois tells the league there are only 4 untouchables on the team
10/9 - Tyler Johnson placed on waivers; Killorn's full NTC becomes 16-team M-NTC
10/10 - Tyler Johnson clears waivers and it is reported teams want a sweetener to take him
10/14 - Tyler Johnson reportedly expands his list to 8 teams; it's rumored that Stamkos was asked about waiving his NMC (although this was thought to have happened weeks earlier)
10/26 - HFBoards wonders why JBB doesn't just move this guy and that guy and Bob's your uncle
My guess is that the choice between, say, Johnson and Cirelli was very clear when JBB thought Johnson would not require a sweetener. But if he gives up on keeping all RFAs, then the choice becomes less straightforward if it's like:
Keep Johnson + keep sweeteners that would be required to move TJ + get assets for Cirelli
vs.
Keep Cirelli
We don’t know the sweeteners required to get rid of TJ. But you have to think Tampa would quickly surrender a 2021 1st round pick to do so. And yet that deal hasn’t happened so now you assume it’s more. Is it 2 1sts? Is it possibly more than that?
None of us have any idea but no one seems interested in throwing JBB anything but an anchor.