Quote:
Originally Posted by genetic_phreek
If you're rebuilding, why would you overpay for any guy? How would throwing away money to a guy like Ribeiro help service a young team? You throw away money to guys like that if you're trying to win, not rebuild.
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Because the rebuild will take at least 3-4 years and those 3-4 years should not be a race to the basement. The Flames management isn't right about much but they are right about the playoff mandate - whatever team you have to put on the ice, it should be trying to make the playoffs. When re-building, my view is that you term out your UFA signings to expire around the time when the fruit of the rebuild is about to ripen. The Ribeiro's of the world play the big roles while the young guys develop until they're ready to take over. If that happens before his contract is up, he becomes an overpaid but effective #2C. You do NOT want to be the Oilers, throwing your Magnus Pajaarvi's to the wolves before they're in any way capable to play in the show. I don't think their method is going to be beneficial to RNH, for that matter, either.
In the meantime, the money thrown at serviceable guys on short term deals is like buying draft picks, because they'll be traded at the dealine to contenders a la Jagr.
The attitude by some people here seems to be "okay, we're in rebuilding mode now, so let's suck as much ass as possible for the next five years to get high draft picks". That's not the way to do it. It's not all about getting top 5 picks every year, it's about accumulating potential roster players and developing them. Please note: the Blue Jackets made the playoffs in 2009, went in the tank, and have now emerged from the abyss and are moving gradually in the right direction towards the playoffs. Now compare them to the Oilers.