It’s January 16th, 2019, and the Vancouver Canucks are playing the Edmonton Oilers. They’re down in the game, and during play, a graphic pops up on the screen that simply reads, “Michael Del Zotto traded to Anaheim Ducks.”
That’s it. No details of what was coming the Canucks way in return, just that DJ MDZ had been traded. I was watching this game at a sports bar with my friend, and oddly enough, that news was enough to make the rest of the onlookers in the bar erupt with joyous cheers. Just the news that the Canucks had parted ways with the 2017 free agent signing was good enough — regardless of what they were getting in return.