Quote:
Originally Posted by Five-hole
Moon, you also deftly avoided my question. Do you or do you not agree that navigating through a critical rebuild during the worst season in franchise history requires an above-average level of attention from hockey ops?
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Speaking for myself, not really concerned, given the Flames situation this year with Cammalleri plus maybe a couple other minor trade peices in play. The other teams, the agents all know what's available (limited) and am sure Burke is in touch with other Gm's. Again, he works like Sutter. Not cuddled up to a local or national reporter to use to float out rumors.
He has cap space, two buyouts, budget space and a top 10 pick in 4 months in order to shape the long term view. In my opionion, as long as he is ready to act in the summer with those peices and tools at his disposal, and in the meantime build up the Flames as a destination for UFAs in the year ahead, building up what the previous regime stripped away (years of goodwill and trust) then Burke can do what he wants now.
Last season was the critical juncture for having competence overseeing operations... well before the plan to trade off the two or maybe three HoF players was discussed, the team flailed under the Gm's handpicked coach. Then the RoR debacle, and radio silence for almost two months from the guilty GM. Then he and those above him that were intertwined, had to scramble together deals for Iggy, Kipper and Jbo before the team's reputation sank deeper into the dung.
I would say the organization suffered immeasurable amounts more uncertainty last year with having who we had to make the franchise altering deals, than Burke not publicly fretting over the lack of a GM or making any moves yet with a barebones team playing for pride in January.