Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad Marsh
But that's the whole premise behind trading vets on expiring contracts. Renewing your prospect base, and trying to get assets from players that are nearing that post-apex stage of their career.
I readily agree that the prospect is not likely to be better than Backlund is now (he's a great player now), but not even Backlund in 3-4 years will be the player he is now. And this contract is for six!
At least with a draft pick you have a player entering his prime in 3-4 years.
But as I said, love it that Backlund is on the team. If this is the price of admission, I understand why the team did this deal. I'm just not putting this one in the wizard category.
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Two factors are probability and window.
A low first probably isn't better than Backlund, but could also be a bust. It's weighted average value is a player not nearly as good as he is, imo.
The second piece is that the Flames are pretty clearly in a win-now mode. While you have JG on a great contract you need to go for it, and the Hamonic trade shows us that is management's plan.
A late first rounder will be entering his prime too late for this round of the Flames most likely, more into a future rebuild.
If a win-now mode wasn't the plan, resigning Backlund and not trading for Hamonic would have been the better course of action.