I'm kind of torn on this issue. Normally when you give away a 1st rounder in a year when your teams one of the worst in the league, you've pretty much lost the deal. I think the Leafs can still climb out of the NHL basement into the annual clusterfuck for 8th, but currently it's looking like they gave Boston a shot at Taylor Hall (or whoever's at the top of your list). That's not to mention the 2nd rounder, which could essentially function like a late 1st. On the other hand, Kessel has been fantastic since recovering from his injuries. He's scored 8 goals in 12 games and is on pace for a terrific season. You really notice his impact when he's on the ice, as he's pretty much instant-offense on a team that lacks quality finishers. A lot of the criticisms and worries about whether his recent success came from playing on a talented Bruins squad and having Marc Savard feed him the puck seemed to have been silenced. He's scored more goals than any Bruin so far this season on a team completely devoid of offensive talent/creativity. Moreover, he's consistently backchecked and played tough, defensively-responsible hockey, contrary to his reputation. The dude looks like a true franchise player. That said, can his play really justify potentially giving up the best player in a supposedly strong draft? Will Leafs fan look back at this a year or so from now and still be happy with the player they got? Or will we look at whoever the Bruins draft like we look at Scott Neidermeyer? The fact that we didn't add lottery protection to that pick bothers me every day (its a sign at how far the NHL is behind leagues like the NBA, when it comes to experience with the cap), but then when I watch Kessel play and I feel much better about the whole thing. I can't decide which feeling is more justified.
I also hate situations like that. But Look on the down side, what if the Leafs kept the first round pick and drafted a flop? 8 goals in 12 games is very helpful for a team. I wouldnt worry about the Draft Pick until we get closer to the draft.
That's probably the best approach. I think it's just ingrained in my psyche as a Leafs fan. I'm so used to this team trading away draft picks and prospects haphazardly, that I'm always worried about what our outgoing assets will turn into. On the flipside, hindsight tells us that the team probably should've included Kaberle in that deal in the place of a few of those draft picks. He's been mediocre this year and one of the players we gave away because he was redundant with Tomas (Anton Stralman) is playing great in Columbus.
Usually I hate seeing draft picks being traded away. I tend to like seeing more players being traded then draft picks. Fresh legs from the minors is perfect for a team. Look at the Hawks, a few 21 year olds doing amazeing on the ice for us. Hawks play the Blue Jackets next. I'll keep my eye out for Stralman.
