Quote:
Originally Posted by #-3
My point was it is not some implossible feet going out and acquiring a few solid NHL ready top 4 Dmen. The Flames are a prefect example of a team that did it with vary little cost, in a fairly short period of time.
As for Edmonton I would not dismiss the possibility that they could trade Hall + for a vary good defenceman then see a player like Nurse develop quickly, putting them in a situation not all that different from the Flames about 15 months ago.
I don't think it will happen, but I am not going to dismiss the possibility that they could gather together a relatively strong D core in a short period of time.
Lets just all agree to hope they aren't so lucky.
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Agreed, I don't think its impossible but I think its going to be extremely difficult. Like I said, every young defenseman that shows they have a lick of being a potential top 4 D? They get signed to 5-6 year contracts, early. (Brodie, Tanev, all the Nashville blueliners). For us, it may look like we got a lot, but the reality IMO is that Wideman and Russell's successes come directly off the environment of Gio/Brodie. Without those 2, I don't see the same success if we start the year with Wideman/Russell as our top blueliners... we built a culture here that worked via Gio/Brodie. The environment breed Russell (Wideman was already good, but comes with a high price tag.)
I think its far more like that you end up with Mark Smith, Anton Babchuk, Butler (forgot his first name already lol) and Scott Hannan ... possible to get Wideman/Russell, but I really doubt it.
There is Phaneuf, Mike Green, Ehrhoff... I think thats the way they will go. Hopefully it fails for them.