Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay Random
Oh, that's not the only problem I have with your dose of bold.
For one thing, if Cammalleri, Stempniak, and Stajan all produce at that pace, the Flames may find it rather tough to finish with the #3 pick overall. That would require either (a) nobody else on the team scoring worth beans, or (b) some truly mind-blowing defensive suckage. Either of those things could happen, of course, but to count on them? That's bold, all right.
|
I think it is very possible for those guys to produce at a 55+ point pace while the team struggles to win games. Cammalleri, Stempniak and Stajan will get the big minutes, and the power play time, to be productive on the score sheet.
The upcoming season is going to be as simple as "how good do the new goalies do". Not only are we going into this season with2 european UFA goalies and a career backup playing in net but we are also going in with our weakest group on D that the Flames have probably seen in 10 years.
Our forward group a is less talented than it was a year ago. Say what you want about Iginla, he is a very talented player and the Flames are not a better team without him. The best thing that we can hope for is that our forwards will be more defensively responsible and hopefully be active in a team defense that tries to compensate for our weak D and G.
Also, if we do trade those three guys at the deadline, that is basically the equivalent to us trading away our top line. I imagine it would result in a pretty spectacular plummet on the standings as we would then be relying upon Hudler and Glencross to lead the team in scoring. Top 3 pick would not be out of the realm of possibility.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay Random
For another, I don't see either Stempniak or Stajan fetching a 1st-round pick as rental players, no matter how much they produce this season. Especially if they are part of a team that craps the bed defensively so much that it finishes 28th or 29th.
|
I can see those guys being worth a first at the trade deadline, especially if they are on pace for 55+ point seasons. Teams trading for rental players do not care that the other team is in 28th place. If they did, rental players would never get traded.
If Stajan or Stempniak look like they can be the missing piece that a team needs in order to make a big push for the playoffs then they will make that trade because they will believe that the pick will be in the late 20s or hopefully 30th overall. If more than one team comes knocking for rental players then the price will get inflated.
History shows that Dominic Moore can get traded repeatedly as a rental player for a 2nd round pick without ever putting up a 50+ point season. I would put Stempniak at at least that value and Stajan would be worth more as a depth center.
If Feaster cannot outright get the 1st rounders then he should go with the conditional pick like Dallas did with the Jagr trade that upgrades the pick to a 1st if they progress in the playoffs.