Remember the mindset was also different. As great as Hossa was, he was part of the team that lost 4 times to the leafs in 5 seasons. They probably also pulled the trigger to shake up the core a bit (money being the first and foremost reason though). So with that in mind, and the fact Heatley and the gang ran roughshod over the East for two seasons culminating in our first ever Stanley cup final, it’s tough to fault Muckler for the trade. If anything, considering the circumstances and the results, he should be praised for being ballsy and pulling off a huge deal like that. Whether it was worth it or not in the long run can be debated forever (probably wasn’t) but that did lead to our most successful time as a franchise.