If Iginla or Jagr gets signed it decreases the likelihood that Hathaway plays. It may sound crazy, but I think Hathaway is needed more in the Flames lineup than Iginla or Jagr. Hathaway works very hard at both ends of the ice. He may only score 10 - 15 points versus Iginla's 20 - 30 or Jagr's 40, but he brings so much more defensively, better work ethic, and zero risk of a distraction. It can be argued that Iginla is even tougher than Hathaway, but is he going to work super hard at both ends of the ice? Are Iginla's 10 - 20 extra points going to make up for his defensive liabilities? Probably not. The Flames have scoring punch already, especially with the D factored in.
I think the Flames have their team for the 2017/18 season. Let Hathaway have his chance on the 4th line on opening night, and let Jankowski steal Stajan's job.
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