Quote:
Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
I wouldn't against trading Hudler away if the price was right, but it has to be right.
Hudler is a mentor on and off the ice.
Also, I am of the opinion that you need skilled guys on the team. These guys help the other players on the team become more skilled as well. Having a few of these guys around with very high offensive IQ and puck-skills helps other guys develop puck-skills as well. I remember (not so fondly) of when the Flames had troubles making and receiving passes, much less make solid transitional plays. Hudler helps that tremendously, and I would go so far as to say that it helps everyone else on the team develop those skills as well.
With that being said, he is a guy that can and should be considered a 'core guy' today, but will probably not be thought of that 3 years down the road when the team should be peaking and hopefully challenging for a cup. Good on Treliving to be exploring options with Hudler, but I am confident unless there a deal materializes that completely knocks Treliving's socks off, Hudler will be a Flame to at least start the season. Then it will be a matter of how contract talks go (if he doesn't re-sign between July 1st and camp).
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The bolded is an excellent point, and one that shouldn't be overlooked. You can have natural skills that are NHL worthy, but it takes experience to know how to take advantage of the other team with those skills; when and where to use them so to speak.
If anyone want to see an example of this, look at Huberdeau and Barkov before and after the Jagr trade last year with the Panthers. The numbers tell the story, but you could see Jagr coaching them on the bench as to where to be, where the puck would end up, and how to maneuver through the defenses. You can't replace the experience of someone like Jagr, and Hudler has been doing that to a lesser extent in Calgary since he's arrived.
Our skill players wouldn't be half as far along in their development without Hudler's guidance. I'm not sure that job is done yet, so I'm very hesitant to trade him with nobody really available to take on his job description. We are all talking about what is best for this team long term, and developing elite prospects properly is more important than anything. For that reason, we hold on to Hudler, and possibly even extend him.