Quote:
Originally Posted by New Era
Except Bennett and Monahan aren't problems for the team. Finding another top six winger or two is, and that is where proper salary management is crucial. Stajan is a bottom line center being paid third line money. With Backlund on the team, making third line money, Matt Stajan is an unnecessary contract.
That's right, you don't bring in another center, you promote from within. Whether that be Derek Grant or Bill Arnold you make that move so you can save $2M+. You need that money to pay that much needed top six winger, regardless of you bring him in.
I didn't realize that a rebuild had a specific course and there was specific timing involved? I thought rebuilds were organic and developed as quickly or slowly as the individuals and team dynamics emerged. Thinking their is a specific time frame with a rebuild is a little silly. Both Monahan and Gaudreau stepped up a lot quicker than some would imagine. Getting Hamilton accelerates any rebuild. Timelines change and can change rapidly. Tying yourself down with albatross contracts is what holds teams back. Stajan, Wideman, Raymond, Smid and Engelland's contracts are hurting the rebuild.
So the Flames should just wait for these contracts to expire, while wasting important years on other player's deals? They shouldn't be proactive in fixing what is holding the team back? They should sit on these over-priced borderline useless veterans because their contracts will expire in the near future? I think that would be a very bad move. I think that would lose this team fans as the losses pile up because of those players they need to cull from the herd. To me, that sounds like a team that doesn't take winning seriously.
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Some thoughts.
Who do you think the Flames have missed out on acquiring due to this lack of cap space? Who from the UFA pool last year or this year would you like us to sign up to long term? Which player was available via trade to improve us on the wing that we likely didn't acquire who wouldn't have cost us assets we weren't willing to part with? You might have some folks in mind. But if you don't the cap space is irrelevant.
I don't disagree that you want to replace the Stajan's and Wideman's of the world with cheaper options, like the players you mention, and for the reasons you mention which is to free up space to round off the team as you suggest with a top winger. But you are really tripping up on the timing. You suggest you didn't know there is a "time requirement" on the rebuild. There isn't, but there is a time where the young core is going to peak and have its "5 year" window. As much as Johnny and Mony have developed quicker than expected, and as much as the surprise addition of Hamilton has certainly helped accelerate this teams jump to respectability, we still are a few years away from these guys being ready to take us to a cup final. This team wasn't a top 6 winger and a goalie away this year from being a contender, they were a top six winger and a goalie away from scrapping into the playoffs.
So, while you could try and rush away contracts that are going to expire in the next two years anyway via undervalued trades or buyouts, but why? All that's going to do is put us in a worse position in two years when this contacts would have expired, than if we were simply patient. Given the age of our key players, Mony, Johnny, Hamilton, Brodie and Bennett, I'd rather we make asset moves that sets us up better 2 years from now, than get impatient to try and make next year or the year after a little better. It's not about a time limit or frame on a rebuild, it's about timing your moves to put you in the best position when your main assets are going to be in their best position to win a cup.