The Flames are in a much better position now IMO. Zary, Pelletier, Coronato, Wolf, Poirier, Pospisil, etc.. is a much better group of prospects. They all look more like depth guys, but they are great depth guys to have. Lots of jam, physical play, and some skill mixed in.
Gaudreau was an exciting young player in 2013, but he was also looking like a bit of a longshot. He was tiny and far from a sure thing.
What the Flames are clearly missing right now, is elite skill. That's where the draft comes in. Hopefully, the Flames bottom out in 2024/25. The right thing to do is trade Markstrom and let Wolf's development years coincide with the Flames' rebuilding years. If the Flames can draft high end skill over the next 2-3 years, there could be a pretty good turnaround.
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