Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee
Yeah I guess we just disagree. A player like Poirier is used to being a star who scores a crapload of points and gets a lot of icetime. These types of players never do get a shot on the Flames because Calgary's constantly been signing vets in the offseason to fill those spots for like the last two decades. So what will happen is a guy like Poirier is going to be expected to crack line 3/4 and be a grinder but that's not the type of player he is or excels at. So yes, signing Jagr does bump a player that possibly could have emerged as a legitimate second line winger and scoring threat who's younger and cheaper.
Not every player "gets broken" by being brought into the NHL too early. These are people and they all have different growth projections once they make the NHL. Some can hack it, some can't, but the Flames usually are really reluctant to give rookies a chance.
Also Hathaway is better than a guy like, say, Bouma. Works harder and energizes the team more. Bouma got paid, got injured, and no longer was interested in doing what he did to get that big contract. That happens a lot, but it shouldn't make him entitled to a spot that I think a guy like Hathaway is outplaying him for. Lastly, you say who cares about these types of roles, but again I disagree strongly. Your bottom forward lines need to be good to properly support your star / scoring lines.
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I think I'd agree with you more if ANY of our drafted prospects who weren't given a shot actually went on to have productive NHL scoring careers (...or careers at all, really).
Other than Paul Byron (not drafted by us), it's hard for me to look around the league for a former homegrown Flame where I'd actually say "damn, we screwed up by giving...Owen Nolan a 1 year contract".