When Iginla left Calgary he was tied for 3rd on team scoring, behind Lee Stempniak and Alex Tanguay and the Flames were in an absolute tailspin. He had 9 goals and 13 assists in 31 games that year. They hadn't made the playoffs in 3 straight years.
One season after the Flames traded him and shed the rest (or at least a significant portion of) of the aging core, the Flames made the payoffs (2015), something they hadn't done since 2009.
Even after a successful 2015 campaign, I would still run into people who wished the Flames had never traded him. I guess, if anything, it shows how much he was loved in this City, a feeling that I have no doubt was reciprocated.
However, in my mind, he was a part of "that" core. A core that, depending on what you believe, either vastly underachieved, or was continuously sold to the fanbase as having a realistic chance at playoff success.
In either case, I just can't go back there.
Iginla is now averaging 15 minutes of ice time on one of the worst teams in the league and has 7 points in 27 games.
Sentimental reasons is the only reason, imo, as to why anyone could argue to have him back with the Flames this year. I'd rather see the Flames win.
Last edited by MacFlame; 12-12-2016 at 09:08 PM.
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