Dubas said that they had been looking to trade him since last spring and the asking price was finally met. Personally, I think Eller was playing better than the return he got but they got what they wanted. Dubas also said they wanted the roster spot for others which I imagine meant Lizotte.
The only nice part about Eller was that his level of play was allowing us to put Malkin with Sid which boosted both. Now, we have a clear gap at 2C that can't be adequately filled by anyone. Fine as long as both Sid and Geno stay healthy but if one goes down, it's 1 line and 3 4th lines.