Cozens also isn’t currently an elite young player, with potential for us to say “as we later learned” as well. Miller was also a depth player for the lightning for his one full season before they moved on from him, I really think your looking at him for what he is now and not what he was. He was younger but he was in no way acquiring a top end 2C at the time of his trade either (he was also a pending RFA at the time as well which hasn’t been mentioned)
Regardless, you were the one who brought that up as the one equivalent you could find to a trade of this ilk happening, and it was a productive young NHLer (ironically a former 1st round pick 7 years removed from their draft, compared to Cozens 6), 2 1sts, 1 conditional 1st, and a 2nd that went back. You can argue the minutia of a Buffalo 1st (you’d be vastly improved adding Kadri and Weegar) to a Tampa 1st, but Buffalo doesn’t want to give away that value I imagine on top of losing Cozens.
If you want to argue they don’t deserve that much that’s fine, but the only comparable trade was a kings ransom, and Calgary could get most of that kings ransom by just trading Weegar on his own honestly.
No, I remember who Miller was, and I don't appreciate his current or past. It's just how I look at it.
Cozens vs Namestnikov
Namestnikov played on a good team, I think even on the first line with Kucherov. Cozens plays on a bad team, where most of the players are deteriorating, but when they leave they often have a breakthrough. These are facts, you can just look at those who left. Cozens was a top 10 pick as a center, he is fast, athletic, physical, can play C/W. The season when he scored 68 points (Namestnikov did not have this) Cozens was the center of the second line, and on his wings played 20-year-old kids (Quinn and Peterka). Last season the whole team looked terrible when our coach started changing the system and it did not work, but he still scored almost 50 points and he was still young. This season with Lindy Ruff he often struggles, but he had good games, he is just inconsistent, like the whole team, almost everyone is struggling, even guys like Thompson and Tuch, and young players. So I wouldn't want to trade Cozens cheaply, for futures or just to get rid of him.
Miller was still relatively young and a versatile second-line player. Kadri is 34, it's just a risk that his game will fall in the near future, so I don't want to overpay too much either. I really value Weegar and I think he's the main part of the deal, maybe even build a deal around Weegar alone, Idk.
Hajek (D) was a second-round pick. So it's the Buffalo equivalent of Ryan Johnson/Strbak/Kleber, that's how I see it. Howden was a late first-round pick, but the same Kulich looked like a steal and had great D1 and D2 seasons. I currently rate him as a top 10-15 pick, given how he's played these past years.
So that's why I don't really agree with your proposal. There was also a second rounder in the deal, which could turn into a first rounder with a condition if Tampa wins the Cup. Well, our first one is now in the top 5.
