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Originally Posted by Drury18
While I understand the offensive abilities both could bring to the team, I disagree and am quite happy that guys like Van Brabant, Gaudreau and Arnold are not being sent down. Strictly based on number, not based on name.
I think there is a fine line between adding offence to a team and stacking them for a playoff run and completely changing the team chemistry by adding new guys. If we were to add Gaudreau, Arnold, Poirier and Klimchuk and all 4 were put into the playoffs, we've just changed 1/4 of our forwards right at the end of the season. Same if Roy and Kanzig made it in, that's 1/3 of our defence changed. That's rocking the boat pretty hard. Yes they are supposed to be professional and yes you want payers to learn to play with other players, but considering 3 of 4 listed would be expected to be thrown into a Top 6 role, we've suddenly just changed the makeup of what got us to the playoffs and have done so well down the stretch. Reinhart/Granlund/Jones and Baertschi/Knight/Locke have been a consistent Top 6 for us. You add in Gaudreau, Poirier, Arnold and Klimchuk and how do you decide who becomes Top 6 and who loses ice time? We just don't have the room for that much Top 6 (or to be used as Top 6) talent right now.
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I agree that chemistry is important.
But Gaudreau is a game changer. He is in a different league than any of the other additions.
And there is no need to put them all in at once. The playoffs are a war of attrition - plenty of time to rotate through the roster.
Back to Gaudreau - I know you are a Heat fan, but the Heat are a development team for the Flames. Gaudreau playing in the playoffs and having success with the other prospects like Granlund, Baertschi, Reinhart, Knight and Poirier is frankly more important than Olson or Jooris' feelings.
Plus, if he helped them win, they would come to welcome him soon enough.