Well, when shit got this bad, I would've have a very clear understanding of what both parties were and were not willing to do if we got to this point. If we can't arrive at an agreement, then it's to pursue something else. There were options out there for sure.
At this point, it's quite obvious that this wasn't going to be VK's forever home and that a move was probably inevitable at some point. So you try to maximize the value as best you can.
Looking at the current roster, I wouldn't have handed Kravtsov anything. But coming off an injury, and having shown something in the limited time he got, I personally would not have sent him to Hartford. I would've seen how Kreider looks at RW, I would've seen if Gauthier can clear the fence rather than hit the warning track, and I would've given Reaves his time to recover.
If taking that chance meant exposing Hajek or Hunt to waivers, that's the cost of that approach. If it became apparent Gauthier was here to stay and Kreider was sticking at RW, then you go back to having other deals potentially lined up.
But I think this particular exit on the freeway could've been different, even if the end result is still Kravtsov going elsewhere.
There's ways we can do things differently to at least increase the odds of better results. Not always ideal results. Not always great results. But at least giving us a shot for something better, if not avoiding the outcome of making things that much more difficult.
