The ONLY time prospects will unfairly be left in the AHL is when the big club has a glut of good players they can't justify moving for a prospect to take a spot. This just happened with Hayes in Chicago.
By my count, players who could easily ride pine without batting an eye: Jones, Seto, Bollig and Raymond. That's four spots on the NHL roster primed for a prospect to steal a spot before there's even an injury. I like all 4 players (yes, even Jones) on that list, but they have not solidified a spot on the Flames themselves.
I would much rather have one of our prospects boot a NHL vet from their spot than us shove a prospect into the lineup to flush out the roster. Monahan is the only 'prospect' that has solidified his spot on the roster... so I would be upset if we just brought in a reclamation centre that would push Monahan to earn his spot again. But, we didn't. We signed a talented winger to fill a roster spot on our weakest wing. Nothing but win here.
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