Playoffs would be great considering we are one of two teams not to make the playoffs since the lockout.
Also it would hurt them, but they still have Jonathan Blum who I have heard they are higher on him than Ellis. Plus Suter and Weber are just entering their primes, so their defence is good for the future.
I'm not saying that trading Ellis is a bad move but, honestly, they could probably get more than MacArthur. One good year isn't worth losing a blue chip prospect like him + the money they'd have to pay MacArthur.
What were you expecting? Most people knew there wasn't going to be many big trades considering all the trades that had already been made the last couple weeks.