Some thoughts on Trotsky:
First off, let me begin with how utterly pointless the majority of Stalin v Trotsky debates are these days. ML's overhype the Trotskyist threat, and trots tend to over simplify the USSR. These debates need to be separated from Trotsky himself.

I think Trotsky was wrong to push for world wide revolution post 1920 as it wasn't feasible and the USSR needed to heal from the civil war. I also disagree with his continued opposition once he had been electorally defeated. I also believe his take of the SU's economy was wrong.

Trotsky was, however, a skilled military leader, who led the Red Army through a very difficult birthing, requiring very hard decisions.
In the long run, his belief that socialism needs to be an international effort was correct, as demonstrated best with the Sino-Soviet split.

A huge hindrance to "team red" in the CW was the hostility between the USSR and PRC, much of which was over petty geo-politics. In this light, the ghost of Trotsky was vindicated.
Important here is to separate Trotsky from atleast some breeds of Trotskyism.

Trotskyists who use Trotsky to dismiss the USSR and PRC are wrongfully using Trotsky's distaste for bureaucracy as a cudgel for western propaganda.
Trotsky never advocated anything but reforms in the USSR, though he did come to (wrongfully) see the Comitern as illegitimate.

In the end, Trotsky, like all socialist leaders, requires nuance and must not be either written off or upheld uncritically.
Why this nuance isn't tolerated by so many is beyond me, and a real tragedy.
We must be willing to contend with history, regardless of where it leads us.