Quote:
Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan
You just admitted that he has been playing good for the last couple of months. Had he been playing really well first off and then playing horrible the last couple of months, I am pretty sure this poll would have all voted Butler off the team.
Now that he is playing good and has sheltered minutes on the 5/6 line, I don't see why you don't sign him for one of two more years at a reasonable price.
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For a few reasons, first he's a non core 28 yo player on a rebuilding team. He won't be here when the team contends and filling roster spots with the likes of Butler when there are plenty of young players with higher ceilings you could invest ice time in is counterproductive.
Secondly, he has played well for a small sample size of time and I don't believe he is a very good player on balance. When i watch someone play for years and they are 90% bad, I am less likely to conclude that the 10% good stretch is the true player. He has been directly responsible for more goals than anybody else on the roster, including guys like wideman and russell who bring offense too.
Lastly he doesn't fit the mould of players Burke is looking for, either physical or skilled. Butler is neither. He's a soft primarily defensive dman.
It's the easy road for the flames to patch up the roster with Butler and some UFA forwards, they might even contend for 8th in the west. That is exactly what they shouldn't do because the goal isn't winning as many games as possible next season, it's building a cup contender in however long that takes.