Wow. At first when I heard about this I was really angry with Feaster. But after calming down, reading news releases and quotes and this thread I have to say it really seems like the Flames were screwed over here.
The image they have of not playing prospects enough may be earned, but it's still a dirty thing for Erixon to do to the team that drafted him. The fact that he signed so quickly in NY and with what appears to be so little questioning and negotiations makes it look even worse. He was offered every option in terms of money and conveniently turned them all down. The rest just seems like excuses.
Is there a guarantee he will be playing on the Rangers right off the hop? I would assume that if he doesn't earn a spot there he would be sent to the AHL.... which is the same thing that would have happened with the Flames. Erixon just didn't want to play in Calgary, and held them over the barrel until the last minute when they would have few choices left. Apparently he feels like he doesn't have to earn his way onto the team, having never played a season on North American ice or at the NHL level. At least Feaster was able to pull something positive out of this mess. Boo to you Timmy. I hope Backlund runs him over the next time we play the Rangers.
And I agree with others who have said the Flames need to play a couple rookies next year. Although I think it was mostly excuses from Erixon's camp, this is something that could become very bad for the Flames future image if it hasn't already. I really hope someone (Brodie for example) earns a spot on the team next season.
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