Quote:
Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix
Between Hiller, Russell, Wideman, Raymond, Smid, Engelland, Jones, Hudler and Stajan, there is approximately $33m in contracts expiring before 2017/18 (Stajan is 18/19). You're telling me that the Flames can't re-direct $4m of that into a #4 D otherwise the team is essentially doomed to mediocrity?
I'm interested to find out where you think that $33m will go exactly? I see about $15m-18m of that going to Gaudreau, Monahan and Bennett. Another $2m to add to what Ramo makes now with a backup.
That leaves $13m-18m. You sure we can't spend any of that on defense? Are we signing Stamkos or something? LOL, Stamkos AND another top 6 forward perhaps? Cap space is only an asset if you use it (intelligently) and I really don't see any of our young defensemen pushing for it anytime soon. I would love to be wrong about that though.
Like it or not, a team's bottom 6 forwards and bottom 3 defense aren't going to be comprised of rookies on ELCs and veteran reclamation projects, that's just not how it works. I guarantee a few million will be spent on a true #4 guy unless a guy like Kylington or Andersson really surprises. And you know what? It won't be the end of the world.
I agree that you shouldn't spend much more than $3m-4m on your bottom 3 defensemen combined, but a good #4 is very important to a team's success. If you don't have a young kid ready to take that spot, you will have to pay a veteran what the market dictates, or you'll have a below average group of defensemen. We don't have a young kid ready to take that spot IMO, so get ready for that money to be spent on someone who can.
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The Flames are already close to the cap for next season and will not have room to sign Russell or Hudler. I am pretty sure that Stamkos is not sitting out a year to wait for the Flames to get some cap room.
The point that I have been making is that the Flames have to be good enough in their top 3 that they can fit in a value d-man as #4.
The Flames top 3 at 17M is the second highest paid top-3 in the league...at least for the next 2-3 years.
Minnesota 15.6
Nashville 14.5
Chicago 15.4
LA 15.0
All have legitimate multi award winners anchoring their top 3. any of Weber, Suter, Keith and Doughty get picked for the Canadian Olympic team for instance, ahead of any of our big 3.
The only team that is spending more on D-men is Montreal at 20.2M for their top 3 and 4M for their #4... How is that working out? Dale Wiese and spare part forward from the Ducks playoff run Fleischmann is in their top 6-7 forward.
The rest of the teams are going with concept that a 5M+ d-man should make a 2M d-man look great. Look at Brodie and Engelland from the best 2-3 months in the last 10 years of the Flames for example.