Quote:
Originally Posted by ricardodw
Wasting basically what is a really late 1st round pick (#34) on an 18 year old goalie is bad asset management.
A goalie prospect that exceeds exceptions is still only worth a 2nd round pick at most when they are 20-22.
What would the acceptable return for Ortio and /or Gillies? I don't think that they would bring back a #34 draft pick.
St. L. picks up NHL ready Reto Berra for a late 2nd round pick (#54) and everyone here at CP says the Flames won that trade easily. Berra is 90% certain to play in more NHL games than Mason MacDonald.
What are the Leafs going to get for James Riemer (26 years old 140 NHL games). would have #34 gotten him?
The leafs got 23 year old Bernier....possibly the best 23 old goalie on the planet for a 2nd round pick in 2015, a journeyman goalie scrivener (worth the Oilers 3rd round pick) and a Frattin who was a #6/7 D-man on LA.
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The few goalie trades you have thrown out do not paint the whole picture on the value of goaltenders.
1) Schneider and Varlamov are both examples of goalies who were recently traded for first round picks. This means that your picture of goalies being traded for peanuts is not the full picture.
2) Varlamov, Ward, Fleury, Price etc are all goaltenders who were selected with draft picks higher than the #34 pick. This means that several of the number one goal tenders in the league were acquired with a higher pick than the one the Flames used. If Macdonald ends up being a number one, you could even argue that he will have been a steal at 34.
3) For whatever reason, goaltenders do not bring back high value on the trade market. I have no idea why, but it does tend to be true. That does not mean that this is equal to their value. Kipper was had for a second. I am sure any Flames fan would have traded a higher pick than a second for what he turned into...one of the best Flames of all time.
4) While the discrepancy in value between goaltenders and their trade value seems to suggest it would be easy to acquire a good goaltender, history has shown otherwise. Many teams have spent years trying to find the right goaltender without success. Whereas teams that have drafted and developed their own goaltenders eliminate this problem and can deal their excess goaltenders as needs be (LA, Anaheim, Mtl, etc).
You do have an argument about drafting goalies high, as there are lots of examples of it not working out. However, to claim that this was bad asset management is only an opinion which you have heavily weighted with selective examples.