Quote:
Originally Posted by Caged Great
The Flames have the #1, #2 and #3 positions basically locked up for the next 5 years barring injury or sudden regression.
Over the next 18 months, the Flames will have to address the #4, 5 and 6. You can likely fill one or two of those spots internally through the kids. After that though, you will need a transitional player or two.
If a deal makes sense to get Hamonic to become the #4, that's fine and should be done. If the deal does not work, then target another guy with a similar pedigree as either Hamilton, Leddy or Hamonic. A young guy needing a change of scenery. A guy like Cam Fowler might be someone that makes sense. There are plenty of guys out there, just depends if the cost is something manageable.
Just depends on who/what is out there.
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This is exactly right.
Hamonic would make a phenomenal #4 on the Flames, but there's no reason to move any of Hamilton, Brodie, or Giordano to do it. We've got Culkin and Kulak who have both given us reason to believe they can be at least bottom-pairing guys in the NHL. In addition there are always a couple of #6/7 veterans available for cheap in mid-July.
There's also Hickey, Andersson, and Kylington already in our system. It's no great stretch to imagine any one of them ending up as a #4 guy, and indeed many reasons to hope they all might be more than that.
In addition there are players like Kulikov, Shattenkirk, Hedman, and L. Schenn, coming up as UFA's in the next two seasons as well as a slew of guys like Krug, Cowan, Spurgeon, Barrie, Vatanen, and Ristolainen, not to mention top-flight guys like Jones and Ekblad who'll hit RFA soon.
Getting RFAs is obviously unlikely, but we managed to snag Hamilton, and I bet everyone would have laughed their heads off at the idea of him being traded at this time last year.
Hamonic would be pretty much the
perfect guy to add to our D right now, but if you figure you can get someone who's 90% of what Hamonic would add without spending a nickel in assets, that's obviously the way to go.