“For a decade, ownership has been afraid of the word and look where that’s got them. To recap, this all goes back to 2014, when then-GM Mike Gillis went to ownership and said it’s time to move on from the group that had almost won the Stanley Cup in 2011, that with some quick aggressive moves they could have a young new core emerging within a year or two.” Johnston said.
He added, “He was ready to trade Ryan Kesler to Anaheim in a deal that would have netted two first-round picks and Alex Burrows to Philadelphia in a second deal that would have returned another first rounder. They’d have had four first rounders in the 2014 draft. All four would probably have been on the NHL roster by 2016.”