they pretty much know both guys are gone and instead of trading them for something now they mortgaged their future on replacements/rentals. if they re-sign duchene, they won't have any picks in the first three rounds of the next two drafts. That'll mean they have more UFAs on their roster right now that they have picks in the next two years (and two of the five they have are 7th rounders). at the time they made these trades i think they were out of the playoffs, albeit by just a couple points.

if they win the cup or go to the final, great, but short of that this was this was a huge gamble on one season that they'll be paying for well into the future.