“I thought this was a time where I looked at giving this group another extra push, another little aid in helping us make this push to where we want to go,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said after the trade. “And so ultimately, if we get into the playoffs and we can have a nice run, I looked at it like this: it’s worth it. It’s worth it to give this group experience, give them a chance to make the playoffs, and to do well in the playoffs, with the hope that we’ll be able to re-sign him when this season’s over.”
