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McDonagh making Gomez trade look even more lopsided

New Jersey Devils v New York Rangers

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Ryan McDonagh #27 of the New York Rangers scores his first NHL goal against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on April 9, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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Attention Habs fans: Do yourself a favor and don’t read this Larry Brooks column in today’s New York Post.

Not that Habs fans need to be told the Scott Gomez trade was an awful one for their team, but most of the focus has been on the shockingly overpaid Gomez himself.

However, acquiring Gomez isn’t the only thing the Canadiens are regretting about the trade. Rangers GM Glen Sather was also able to get defenseman Ryan McDonagh out of the deal with Montreal GM Bob Gainey. McDonagh is currently averaging 24:58 of ice time per game in Marc Staal’s absence, and according to Brooks, the 22-year-old is “emerging as a force.”

Why were the Habs willing to let the young d-man go? Brooks explains: “The Canadiens apparently expected McDonagh to become a dominant offensive player when they drafted him and, for whatever reason, were not satisfied with his development as a two-way defenseman with offensive skills that might have been dormant.”

For all the heat Sather takes for some of his decisions (and rightly so), this trade ranks up there with the most lopsided in NHL history. You even have to wonder if it saved Sather’s job, though many Rangers fans have speculated Slats has compromising photos of owner James Dolan, so maybe not.