Nik the Trik said:
Well, like I said above it would be to incorporate better players and because he's not likely to remain this "effective" regardless of ice time/linemates.
I agree, though, I can see Babcock (or any other coach) seeing him as a useful 3rd piece on a line with 2 skilled offensive players and using him in a Holmstrom type role on the PP, so, even though he wouldn't have the same level of effectiveness in terms of shooting percentage and such, I can see him still being a good position to put up points.
I'd still trade high on him, though. I like him a lot, and if he was ~5 years younger, I'd be arguing in favour of hanging on to him, but, I don't think the long-term value in holding on to him is there. Guys with his style tend not to last well into their 30s. He might have a little more gas in the tank because he played mostly in the KHL, but it's not like he suddenly picked up the physical game when he came to the NHL.