Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
Yep. People forget the Flames simply couldn't compete on a financial level with the big markets. I remember Coates desperately wanting to keep Dave Gagner around to mentor Iginla as they had good chemistry in his first year and Gagner opted for more money in Florida than the Flames could offer. Dave frikking Gagner was out of the Flames league salary-wise. That's how bad things were. They would trade for guys under contract like Cassels but they would all leave as soon as they became UFA. By the late 90's the team was filling the roster with league castoffs like Jeff Shantz, Clark Wilm, Jeff Cowan, Freddy Brathwaite, etc because that's the best they could afford. It was pretty dire and hopless.
At least now the Flames have the money to be able to acquire top players with high salaries in trades or via free agency. That wasn't even remotely possible in the 90's where they were hopeless to compete with the big markets.
|
This is all true but my point is do Flames ownership believe this fan base would survive a rebuild? I think they don't because I can't believe they are nieve enough to think this is working and there must be an explanation why they haven't moved Iginla or Kipper yet after years of mediocrity.