Chad Johnson was traded by the New York Islanders to the Buffalo Sabres for Michal Neuvirth on Monday, a deal many felt was an upgrade for the Isles’ backup goalie spot. Which, conversely, meant that the Sabres downgraded their own goaltending.

Why? In theory, because the Sabres want to be as terrible as possible and Neuvirth was playing too well. So, for the second time this season, they traded their starting goalie.

Johnson went on TSN after the trade, and naturally they wanted to ask him about going from a team striving for first place to a team trying to finish last. Host James Duthie twice asked him about playing for a team that’s trying to lose. Johnson remained steadfast that the Sabres are doing everything they can to win games. Like, this season.

"You play to win. I don't think an organization wants to lose,” said Johnson on TSN, in either denial or blissful ignorance.

On Tuesday, with his new team, Johnson told the Buffalo News that the tank talk upset him:

"That whole TSN thing bothered me a little bit," said Johnson, 28. "I was asked to do an interview with them, they called me and I'm sitting on hold while they're saying what they have the right to say. But it was obviously a little disrespectful for them to have me on hold listening to what they have to say and then bring me on line to ask me these questions while they sort of bash me or whatever it is.

"You can do that, but not while you're on the line. It's just disrespectful. Everyone has their own opinion. I'm coming in here to compete and play hard and win hockey games. I guess you don't know what other people's intentions are. Everybody is going to try to write an article, make news I guess."

See, I had no problem with what TSN said or asked. (Alas, their video is geo-locked, so I’m pulling this from the gray matter.)

While Johnson was on hold, they said exactly what the rest of us thought: The Sabres are trying to lose games, so they swapped out a goalie playing well for one who hasn’t (.889 save percentage).

Their questions were more or less about joining a franchise that’s more interested in losing than winning, which is an indisputable fact, and how a professional athlete with a modicum of pride, which we assume Johnson has, feels about joining that effort.

“If you don't play to win, then you shouldn't be playing,” Johnson told the Buffalo News, and he’s right. But if the grand tanks of the Sabres and Coyotes have taught us anything, it’s that none of this is about the players’ efforts. In fact, some of their efforts are so good that they need to be shipped out of town to prevent the team from stumbling into success.

Which is to say that management, through its best efforts, is the one trying to tank by building a roster that’s sub-mediocre. And while that’s a hard thing for Chad Johnson to hear, filling Neuvirth for his services is very much in that spirit.

It’s not about professional courtesy, it’s about the reality of your surroundings. And honestly, Chad, based on TSN’s track record yesterday, it could have been worse.

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