I just got the Edmonton Oilers Pipeline email regarding the trade, which includes comments from Kevin Lowe and Patrick LaForge. Lowe says:
I want to be very clear that making this trade today is a hockey decision. It was not financial.
I want everyone to know that our decision was much more to do with a plan than a reaction.
A hockey decision?! Trading your top player who you can clearly afford is not a good hockey decision in my book. And LaForge had this to say:
We can afford to spend the money necessary to have the kind of elite players expected.
Is that right? Then why not spend the money to keep Ryan Smyth?
I also think the headline on EdmontonOilers.com proves just how bad a deal this is.
Oilers obtain Nilsson and O’Marra
Nuh uh. “Oilers fuck up and trade Ryan Smyth” should be the headline.