Because they knew they would get flack from the Rubes that feel Gopher Hockey is the end all be all of hockey in the world...ya know the ones who sound like you did when they made the trade.
What are they supposed to do, duck the question? Everyone wants people in sports to be honest, then when they are they get mad at them because they dont like the answer. What did he say that wasn't true? Hell he was more diplomatic than we are about the current state of the program...but you want him to lie about it to appease a fanbase that has no real tie to his beyond being in the same state? If you don't want the answer to the question then you better hope Russo doesn't ask...Thompson is DEAD ON!
They wanted out of their pick and traded it while also getting rid of an overpaid player they were going to lose and getting a pretty decent player back who will be here until I believe 2011-2012. If this was any other scenario you guys would be all excited but he traded ONE OF US!!11!!1 so he needs to burn! It is amazing how fast people can turn on someone in this town...and people wonder why we as fans are considered a joke.
edit to add: Just in the interest of full disclosure I was one of the few that liked the Leddy pick and while I still wish they were keeping him, they basically traded him for a guy who is playing right now in the NHL. (Johnnson was gone after this season so his part of the deal is a wash) That is about the perfect scenario for me as a Wild fan. As a Gopher fan it bugs me that our NHL stock is dropping faster than GMs last year.
