Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
Lots of thoughts and emotions on this one...
Baertschi was a good choice with the 13th pick in 2011, IMO. And then in his post draft year he wasn't just good, he wasn't even great - he was arguably the best player in the entire CHL. There was plenty of reason to be excited about him.
And over the next couple years, he continued to show promise, but at the same time, there were cracks starting to appear. One of the things that has frustrated me the most about him is how easily he gets knocked of his skates. And there has been enough talk in this thread about attitude so I won't go there.
I still think he will be a good NHLer. But it is by no means a certainty. Which makes the trade fascinating. The Flames get a pick - definition of uncertainty - and the Canucks get a time limit. It will be fun to see how it plays out.
I don't think there's any doubt that he will be on their roster next year - they bought the asset and they will give him every chance to prove them right.
But unless Greene does some serious magic with him over the next couple months, Baertschi simply isn't ready to run with the opportunity. So then it will become a race - can he continue to develop fast enough to justify the continued ice-time, or will the bloom fall off the rose and Vancouver fans turn on him?
It will be interesting to watch. And despite my unbridled loathing of the Canucks organization, I think I will still be rooting for him.
From the Flames' side, I give Treliving credit for making an assessment and acting on it, as opposed to letting things fade into oblivion. And after hearing that the Baertschi camp demanded out and had no intention of signing, well a 2nd suddenly sounds pretty darn good.
Essentially, Treliving took a deteriorating situation and turned it into what is probably an equivalent risk, but at least it is one he has control of, and one where he has a lot more time to make it work.
|
Not sure why I bother trying to figure out what my thoughts are, I can almost always just read them in your posts. Very well said, save for maybe the part about rooting for him. I'll be rooting for the Canucks to give up on him, and for Sven to carve out a career in the East with no regrets on either side.