Look, at their age now, if you can't establish yourself consistently as anything more than a marginal nhl player, you will be viewed and treated as a disposable asset by every team in the NHL. The only reason a team picks you up, is because you were free, and they are willing, for the low coast of free, to take on the 5% odds that you are in fact, a diamond in the rough. You didn't see a buffet line of NHL teams willing to fork over a 6th round pick in 2020 for them did you?
Not everyone is the next Jonathan Marchessault, so lets stop acting like we just let 2 promising players go, and accept that we had to let go of 2 players who didn't become the players anyone expected them to be, after this many years, when many others here and around the league have. Do I suddenly think or even fear that De La Rose becomes a strong 3rd line player who can contribute 30+ points for years to come? Hell no. Do I think Scherbak is going to go to L.A and become the top 6 forward they were hoping for when they signed Kovalchuk? Nope.
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