You’re not understanding my point. My point is that telling teams “I want your two best young players, or I want Logan Couture, or I want Jeff Skinner, or no deal” looks like a calculated way to make sure a deal does not get done.
Howson might as well call up Ray Shero and say he’ll trade Rick Nash to the Penguins.. for Evgeni Malkin.
The point is to make a trade impossible (despite “working hard” on it) so that Nash’s choices are to either expand his list or spend another season in Columbus. The point is not to get Jeff Skinner in a trade (although obviously that would be great), the point is to put pressure on Rick Nash.
