Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
Someone has to make the money. Hawks need to get to the Cap Floor and Aucoin and Bulin helped them do that. Hawks also had good young defensive prospects, but they were not ready to play a significant role and required the steady presence of a big minute two-way defender. This is something I would expect from a franchise like the Flames if they had a stable of solid young defenders.
I brush it aside because the money doesn't matter. Free agents are just that, free. They don't have any acquisition cost other than money. Therefore, they are unlikely to be a determinate factor in a rebuild. Teams that are rebuilding display a general plan of acquiring picks instead of using them to bolster the team in the immediate future (win now).
Look at the hawks trade history and find a trade between 2004 and 2007 where they gave up draft picks. They made a no-brainer trade for Havlat which ended up being utter theft. They gave up a 2008 2nd rounder for smolinski and then moved him at the deadline several months later for a 2007 2nd rounder.
That franchise operated for 4 years without dealing draft picks. Can there be a better sign of prioritizing the draft then doing nothing with your draft picks but get more of them for four solid years?
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Flash, you're getting the issue and my stance totally mixed up. Not once have I said the Hawks never started a rebuild. My stance was that it wasn't some grand design, it was because they sucked, accepted it, and started it. Even after they did that they still did things in determent to it (signing big players) but still sucked and managed to get those big pieces.
Of course through 2004-2007 they sold off and got draft picks. The Hawks finished last in the west in 2004, 2nd last in 2006 and 3rd last in the west in 2007.
So yes, after they sucked they decided to switch gears and sell off assets for picks. I've never been saying they didn't do that. I'm saying it wasn't some grand design beforehand.
If the Flames finally go that route instead of spinning their wheels it won't be because of a master scheme but of finally accepting how bad they are and moving in that direction. You haven't said anything that goes against that.
Yes the Hawks started a rebuild (like the Oilers) but it was because of how god damn bad they were, not a brilliant plan by management.