Yeah. And if they’re not taking the first or not getting firsts. What else do we have that’s valuable? SOA says yakemchuk. Not sure we move that.
We don’t have second tier pieces. We have two nice pieces (the first and yakemchuk) and then like nothing.
We don't have any great pieces, but the point is that I don't think McGroarty is going to go for a 1st. If we're setting the bar at nobody is giving up a 1st, then Ostapchuk and a 2nd makes sense.
What might be happening is that Winnipeg does not want to let McGroarty talk to teams, but teams do not want to give up A-level assets for a player who could refuse to sign with them. At the same time, if it turns out McGroarty will only sign with a few or one teams, he will be even more difficult to trade. Look at what Fox went for relative to his stature at the time (high 2nd+3rd).
The 2nd they get in compensation for McGroarty is years in the future. If they get an upcoming 2nd and a B prospect who might play for them, that's better than a 2nd multiple years down the line.
I could be completely off, and he could be a hot trade piece. I just find it suspicious that he wasn't moved at the draft, which would have been the best time to get top value when a whole bunch of picks were potentially available. The fact that this has dragged on makes it seem like Winnipeg has not been able to create the market they needed.