Baertschi's comments should be of concern. He's a player with other options. Too many people think that the NHL dream is all that motivates these players. If that dream doesn't seem possible, through mismanagement or over-management of the player, then the player may take that to mean his dream is not achievable, but making money elsewhere is. Baertschi, as a Swiss national, can make a boatload of cash back home, and probably play the game he wants to play. Baertschi's comments about making the team soon give me reason to think this may be in the back of his mind. The Flames really need to guard against allowing this flight risk to manifest. Not just because they could lose Baertschi, but because it would be a pretty big black eye on the organization and show other prospects there are ways to get out of the system. We dodged a bullet on the Tim Erixson front so it would not be good to see another high draft pick follow a similar route.
A name that was dropped that everyone should consider is Kyle Turris. He went through the same think with Phoenix, where Treliving learned his craft, and got so fed up with it he demanded a trade. That is where the fine line of asset management is crossed. I hope Treliving learned something from that because Phoenix lost a big part of their future when that deal happened. You have to recognize these players have more options than they have had in the past. The NHL dream is the only thing that allows you to, as the player might see it, hold them hostage in the minors and pay them scraps compared to what their NHL salaries would be. The game has changed, and because of the free agency system entrenched in the CBA, the expectations of players has changed as well. The Flames need to keep this in mind and be careful how they manage player expectations and develop their players.
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