Build a freaking championship contending team.
Get a championship blueprint and look at filling in the boxes properly.
Yes, it will hurt. However, no more than the "wandering in the desert" over the last 4 years that focused on avoiding tough decisions, because of fantasies and poor planning.
Be patient and do it right.
Every championship contender has much of their core, usually the most dominant pieces, who were drafted and developed from within.
The Flames need to be honest, brutally honest and determine what pieces they do not have and go about filling those holes, through the draft, college free agency, Europe. There are plentiful voids.
Systematically and patiently, they need to fill #1C, #2C , #1 D, #2D, high scoring #1 winger, #1 power scoring winger, secondary power scoring winger and a #1 goalie.
Those players do not grow on trees. It will take a minimum of 4 years before those pieces are filled with championship calibre players who then go about the task of reaching their full maturity.
They started late. This will be a lengthy, difficult and arduous process. Good picks, many picks and good development.
Don't take the easy way out. That does not work, play it through.
|