3 things to add:
- As related to the too many cooks sentiment, it's not as easy to trade players when most of the key trade targets (Iggy, Kipper (until recently), and Bouw) all had NTC/NMC. This isn't to say management couldn't ask them to waive it (and who knows, maybe they tried), but the point I would make is that these players are in the driver seat in terms of who the GM can trade with
- I think we have been slowly rebuilding as we have gradually playing a younger line up. Only exception currently is Begin and McGratton, but we don't have any young guys that can do the type of job as well as they do right now. Even then, neither of those 2 are regulars and are joined by Sarich and Babchuck.
- The Oiler rebuild isn't a planned strategy. They just happen to finish last over the last couple of years and picked first. No team actually has blown it up by trading all their old players and play all of their young guys, at least not successfully. The most successful rebuilding of teams rather trade their high price assets if they have a backup for it. People lament on how we should have traded Iggy, Bouw, Kipper seasons ago, but without suitable replacements, it would be moving spots in the line up or worse, creating new deficiencies. Therefore, imo, it was really the Flames lack of dept before that made it more difficult to trade an Iginla, Kipper, or Bouw
I think the most important thing to happen this year to the Flames is Kipper getting hurt. I think previously fans and management didn't think this team could win any games without Kipper in the line up. However, during Kipper's absence, the Flames weren't awesome, but certainly didn't lose every game, and allowed Management a glimpse of a future without Kipper. In my opinion, I think the reaction by them is that it wasn't as bad as they thought it would be, and thus trading Kipper isn't as unthinkable as it once was.
Lchoy
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