Honestly, I thought Sergachev HAD TO BE traded after McDonagh was brought back, and I also took JBB's comment to mean it wasn't going to happen. For a week or whatever I had no idea what the plan was. Then he traded Sergachev and it felt clear that that had been the plan all along.
The Sergachev trade was so big and perfect (on both sides) that I'm guessing JBB might even have had the framework worked out before he pulled the trigger on Mcadonagh.
My thoughts as well