Peter Chiarelli expected Edmonton Oilers fans to be upset when he traded Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Larsson.
"I knew I was going to get hammered (for it)," the Oilers general manager told SiriusXM NHL Network Radio on Monday. "The Edmonton fans don't know (Larsson). They don't know what he projects to be, and they know Taylor."
It wasn't just Oilers fans who were shocked by the deal, which was announced during a flurry of major activity around the league last week. Several media members chimed in with critical responses.
Related: Twitter reacts to 1-for-1 Hall, Larsson trade
"You kind of knew there was going to be some backlash, and to a certain degree, it's justifiable because of the stature Taylor had in Edmonton and ... (his) time in the league and what he's done," Chiarelli said Monday.
Hall racked up 132 goals and 328 points in 381 games for the Oilers after being selected first overall by Edmonton in 2010. Larsson - a right-shot defenseman Chiarelli has repeatedly insisted the Oilers needed - was chosen fourth overall in 2011.
"It's a tough business. You make these decisions, (and) whatever you do, social media is going to criticize you ... It's a really public forum, and you just don't look at it, basically."
Chiarelli's social media strategy aligns with Connor McDavid's advice to Canadian players during the World Junior Hockey Championship. McDavid told players to "make your world as small as possible," and to turn off social media apps while in the figurative bubble of the international tournament.
For the Oilers, less is apparently more.
- With h/t to Chris Nichols
