IMO the Flames need Butler or a comparable UFA defenceman to bridge the gap until the other D prospects are ready to make the jump. O'Brien is not worth playing as a veteran guy, and Seiloff will need time to recover in the AHL, so what they need next year is a 5-7 defenceman who can step in for injuries, cover Wotherspoon if he runs into a rough patch, etc.
The market for UFA/RFA defencemen is not that deep, and unless this is covered by a trade, moving out a forward for a defenceman, Butler may well be seen as "the devil we know"
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