I am not even that big of a Hamilton fan, but this trade is 'meh' to me. It gives the Flames more depth.
Hey, if this was 3 seasons ago, I would have jumped at it. Lindholm was a "can't miss" all-star in the making center, with Peter Forsberg as his comparison. Hannifin was a franchise defencemen in the making.
Neither player lived up to their billing. Hannifin hasn't been spectacular at all offensively, and has been weak defensively, and is pretty low on the depth chart at the moment in Carolina (though that is a good group there).
So, they both have potential, right? Yep, absolutely.
However, it isn't like Hamilton is over the hill either. He still has MORE potential than what we have seen thus far. I don't like his consistency in terms of compete, and I think his defensive acumen needs a lot of attention, but there is no denying his value to the team right now, and undeniably he is getting better.
As for Brodie - call me crazy, but I have seen Brodie win more games for the Flames than Hamilton. Yep, he has been underwhelming now for the last two seasons, but I feel a new regime with a new system might just bring back the old Brodie. Out of Brodie and Hamilton, I think Brodie has had a lot more games where he has been dominant and a huge factor. It just hasn't happened all that much lately, and again, I would hope that the regime change fixes that. At any rate, he has proven how damn good he can be.
Hamilton is a completely different type in my eyes, but he is also very valuable. This rumored trade isn't horrible by any stretch - maybe both Carolina players could use a change of scenery (though going to the same coach..). I just think if someone wants to argue that Lindholm and Hannifin have all this room to grow, you have to argue the same about Hamilton.
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