As far as the trades UHC made go, I think they did a great job turning 4 quarters into a dollar with Sergachev. Getting a true #1 D-man came at a cost that I'd call fair value. In my humble opinion, if you can trade 4 quarters for a dollar in pro sports at "fair value", you usually want to do it, because finding all-star calibre players is really hard any way you slice it. Two second rounders for another d-man who can play in either of the top 2 pairings is another fine example for trading parts for a sure thing. Second round picks often take a long time to develop, and they're not guaranteed long-term, so getting Marino for a few years on a good contract makes sense - especially considering how many picks the UHC has stockpiled. They did well getting value with Marino, and they turned two maybes into a sure thing player for a few years on a good contract. Getting both of these guys at 27 and in their prime will give a chance for the young team/forward group to grow and make mistakes, but be more competitive for a playoff spot than last season. I feel like this is a roster that is starting to turn the corner away from being a full "rebuild" roster. They'll need to continue to develop some players, and add a few more pieces, but if these moves are any indication, the next couple of seasons should be exciting ones for UHC fans!
As far as the trades UHC made go, I think they did a great job turning 4 quarters into a dollar with Sergachev. Getting a true #1 D-man came at a cost that I'd call fair value. In my humble opinion, if you can trade 4 quarters for a dollar in pro sports at "fair value", you usually want to do it, because finding all-star calibre players is really hard any way you slice it.
Two second rounders for another d-man who can play in either of the top 2 pairings is another fine example for trading parts for a sure thing. Second round picks often take a long time to develop, and they're not guaranteed long-term, so getting Marino for a few years on a good contract makes sense - especially considering how many picks the UHC has stockpiled. They did well getting value with Marino, and they turned two maybes into a sure thing player for a few years on a good contract.
Getting both of these guys at 27 and in their prime will give a chance for the young team/forward group to grow and make mistakes, but be more competitive for a playoff spot than last season.
I feel like this is a roster that is starting to turn the corner away from being a full "rebuild" roster. They'll need to continue to develop some players, and add a few more pieces, but if these moves are any indication, the next couple of seasons should be exciting ones for UHC fans!
Trading back into the 1st round was a HUGE deal.