[Sylvanfan]

It's funny how one day Hamonic is a top pairing 26 year old defenceman for cheap. The next, he's barely a number 4. He had an off year last year, but I think he's definitely a top 4 guy. The Flames will have a top 4 that only needs the third pair to cover 11 minutes a night now.

I'd be okay trading any prospect in our system to bring in this type of certainty. The Flames have an okay stable of defence prospects, but it's not like these guys are all sure fire top pairing guys....and I think a lot of people view them like that. It's like when they had Sven Baertschi...there was a serious infactuation with a skilled European prospect..I even remember a Winnipeg reporter once lamenting the Jets taking Schiefle over him.....the Flames never captured his full value. One year after his draft he was highly regarded. Today, he's a middling top 6 winger at best.