Whether not at the same level as they were or not, you take away the franchise's best player, and the franchise's best goalie, both class acts, likely both HOF'ers, well respected, humble, guys that poured their heart and soul into this city and franchise for over a decade, it hurts.
Kirpusoff never got the full credit he deserved while here, pulling the spectacular wins, but many many many wins that relied on making the tough save that on other goalies, when they go in you'd say "good shot". Playing drama free in net, hard enough to come by in the league these days, and outside of two injuries in a decade, reliable as a rock, also a rarity that Flames fans may not be so lucky to see for another decade, just like after Vernon left.
It also means that there better be 5 or 6 other guys at least that are gone before 1pm Wednesday for this dismantling to be worth it.
For those fans who've had financial interest in the Flames for the past decade and have had the privledge of watching these two guys win games on their own for the Flames and represent the best of the franchise, there is no sense in holding onto some of the total losers that are left on the roster.
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