Quote:
Originally Posted by blender
Not necessarily.
Flames would have to shed some salary and rely on ELC contracts and hope that their 3 top D prospects can perform while they are cheap.
Tavares would instantly upgrade the whole team by pushing every center down one spot.
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And give the Flames two elite pairings which is a lot harder to shut down than one. Could even shelter Johnny to feast the opposition. You can build around that structure for a number of years.
Backlund isn't the most ideal 2nd line C due to the lack of finish but as a 3C he would win his matchups and not have to worry about producing like a top 6 center.
It's really the quickest and most effective 'fix' that could be made to the problems up front. I'd draw up a competitive offer in the 9-10M range and just see where the chips falls.