We don't get Kessel without the Hornqvist trade

Uhhhh....Saad?

I've heard this before, Toronto would've done the deal w/o Spaling. Hell they traded him that very year.

2011 draft, Shero's scouts unanimously wanted Saad & he took Joe Morrow, who was traded a year later

haha really? Can't mess up any harder than he did.

.........





....Well maybe the Rask deal....

Disclaimer: I was as big of a Neal fan as there was. Still like him and I was devastated when I first saw the trade. That being said, the success of the cup winning (and current) roster was a product of the failed 2014-2015 "no skill all grit" experiment (featuring the likes of Steve Downie, Brandon Sutter, Marcel Goc, Nick Spaling, Sill, Adams, Klinkhammer, Lapierre, Comeau, Winnik, and all the other plugs they tried in the lineup that year). Without that failure, JR doesn't pull the trigger on the Kessel trade, Bonino, allowing AHLers like Sheary/Rust into the lineup, etc.

I still think about that 2011 draft sometimes. Without a doubt, Joe Morrow was one of the most disappointing draft picks in the past few decades (aside from maybe Angelo Esposito). There was so much buzz in Pittsburgh about all the quality local talent (Saad, JT Miller, Gibson). I remember I was big on Namestnikov and Rakell that year too but no chance they would have taken them because of Disco "I can't coach Euros" Dan.

I prefer the Cup winning team lol