I want to start with a pair of facts that should be obvious but need to be spelled out clearly nonetheless:
1. Saturday’s Hallander-for-McCann trade only happens in the context of the expansion-draft pressures facing Pittsburgh — the Leafs are not getting him so cheaply at any other time — and it has to occur before 3 p.m. on July 17.
2. You are always losing an NHL asset to Seattle no matter what.
With the Jared McCann trade available to Kyle Dubas, before he pulled the trigger on the deal and then submitted his protection list on Saturday, here were the possible outcomes under the eight skaters, one goalie protection scheme, with the team’s top four on defense (Morgan Rielly, TJ Brodie, Jake Muzzin, Justin Holl) all protected:
1.