It was inevitable. Derek Grant‘s 20 points in 49 games put him in a prime position for Bob Murray to pull the trigger and trade our beloved Elite 1 C. Surprisingly, one of the Anaheim Ducks top 3 goalscorers of the season, Grant has flourished under the California sun. It was incredibly smart of Murray to trade Grant in the midst of his best NHL season.
While it is hard to look past the fact that our Elite 1 C is gone, there are a few benefits to this trade. Not only did Murray secure a 4th round draft pick for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, one that we lost in the Nicolas Deslauriers trade, but 27-year-old Kyle Criscuolo will be a great addition to the San Diego Gulls.