Losing O'Brien unexpectedly or hanging on to TJ Oshie for another season (to me unexpectedly, because he could've gone).
Losing O'Brien unexpectedly or losing TJ Oshie after 3 years.
I'm thinking Lucia's position is far worse right now.
At least we kind of expect to lose that group (Oshie, Duncan, Chorney, Finley) and the 2008 recruiting class seems to be adjusting and preparing for it.
I still think of all of the bad listed here (and losing UND's four next summer isn't good), Lucia still got the worst of it because he got told one thing and received another, with school starting in a couple weeks, and now only 7 defensemen (and 3 of them freshmen).
Aw shucks for him.
If there's a lesser of two evils in this, I think UND (by having the option of a prepared recruiting class) got the lesser evil.