I don't buy that there weren't any good deals to be had last year, or at any time he's had to move a player. He was able to get a brilliant return for Evander Kane, and that happened over the course of 4 days. I think there's far more evidence that he'll only trade a core part of the team if there's no other option but to trade them. It's never about the player not being good enough, but because they have to move them. I would like to see Cheveldayoff seeing a deal and pouncing on it. Make the team better through trades and drafting, because obviously the location isn't good enough to attract FAs.
I mean most teams go out of their way to hold their core pieces as long as possible. It's really only when they demand out or are coming towards UFA that you see them moved. Not very many teams voluntarily trade their core pieces.
Having said that I do believe in some instances (Kane) he should have moved on sooner. In others like Trouba he made the right call for the team and still got a decent return.
I think some players need to be dealt at the right time to get max value. A guy like Copp never brings in the haul he did in the offseason. I also wonder if Dubas doesn't bring close to this haul if dealt with two years of control due to the acquiring team not being sure if they can sign him.
I do think Chevy could have been more proactive at addressing the dcore after Buff left. He pretty much went with Poolman as the top paring Rd because he couldn't go out and shore it up. It wasted two seasons.
I do think he now has a coach and identity set and you are seeing moves designed to match it.
