Give it a rest dump. He made these moves for the cap first and foremost, and then traded up in the 2nd round while adding a handful of lesser picks. We didn't get a first. We didn't add a 2nd.
I'm not a pick guy, so I never sweated it anyway, but dealing a few picks in the 20's while adding 3rd and 4th round picks doesn't make it all even.
But I will also add, if you are a pick guy it shows making those moves WAS worth it, because late 1st rounders are a crapshoot, and we dealt a backup goalie and a role player and added picks back. Now the picks we got back are more of a crapshoot obviously, but again we didn't deal top 10 or 15 picks anyway, so small chance we are getting a difference maker at 28 OR in the 3rd round.
If Hags was going to make 2 mill again next season ZERO shot he is dealt. And Talbot had to be dealt to save 650 K AND most importantly he was walking next summer anyway, so get something now.
So we dealt a backup goalie, who was overpaid as a backup for us AND a 3rd line role player who was going to make 3.5 mill or more, and was set to be a UFA next summer. That is the bottom line.