Quote:
Originally Posted by kirant
Ultimately, you have to be a bit friendly as a team. The impression has to be positive or else your ability to compete is compromised. You have to convince your up and coming UFAs/RFAs want to stay here and don't take the next bus out. You have to convince the players with NMC/NTC to come here if you wan them...and, of course if it comes down to it, you need to convince UFAs/RFAs to sign here. Not all of this come down to dollars for the players. Some definitely want the stability. Being known as the team that cuts you loose at the best business opportunity isn't going to make it easier to do some moves. I mean trading Ference for Stuart, while probably a smart hockey move had Stuart agreed to stay, looks bad.
If you were a player, would you prefer to sign with the team which takes no player emotion into opinion, or one which actually tries to treat the team as a community to be part of and does its very best to help the players?
To some degree, you're right; at some point, you have to be a competitor and not get wrapped up in the nostalgia or being a fun place to work. Moving Iginla was a good sign there that management understood it was time to stop pretending that the Iginla era will yield playoffs, let alone a Cup and made the business decision to trade him. But you need to play both sides of the equation and ensure that players want to be here or else you'll have problems acquiring and even retaining players. Worst case scenario is players like Gillies and Gaudreau actually become great players, but refuse to be here because the team doesn't treat them well and want out as soon as they are UFAs.
The Flames can't hang their hat on being an effective competitive team like Detroit used to, nor can they claim great off time like the California teams. There are few tools aside from money that the Flames can offer and in a cap world, that isn't going to last long. It seems to be part of the equation to keep the players happy so you retain at least a reputation of being a place that players want to be a part of and certainly part of what it takes to be a competitive team.
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I actually agree with you, I just wish they were better at being competent, as opposed to being just a cushy place to work. Of course, you treat your employees well. I personally don't care about any of these players, but the Flames should to some degree. I just don't think there is any reason for "Kipper is Jebus - he can do what he wants sort of stuff".
What I am really curious about is why this became public knowledge...