I said this a few times this month, but I am glad it was Hamilton and not Brodie, contrary to what most of the board feels. Yes, Brodie has been having issues, but he has proven himself capable of playing elite-level, game changing hockey at both ends of the ice. He is far and away the most dynamic presence on defence.
Hanifin sure sounds a heck of a lot like Brodie, no? For some of you that have a dislike to Brodie, that sounds like a bad thing. I think it is awesome.
Ferland for me is the real kick in the pants. Seemed polarizing here, but people sometimes expect too much consistency out of players. 20 goals AND playing that type of game isn't easy to backfill. He was solid at both ends of the ice too.
This is Ferland to me:
20 goals a season (and I bet more - he was improving every year)
Versatile throughout the lineup
Keeps opposing players honest
Was more than solid at moving the puck - passing and skating with the puck
Awesome along the boards and in the corners
Fantastic shot
He is not going to be replaced. There are few players in the NHL like Ferland. That top line - WITH Ferland - was one of the NHL's best. That was a solid line. He isn't some 4th liner as way too many posters are stating. Chiasson, Lazar, Hathaway, Jones - forgot who else. Any of these guys even came close to producing like Ferland did? Are any of these guys able to stick up to Gaudreau.
Ferland was also incredibly disciplined. Rarely takes a minor. Rarely put this team on the PK. That is amazing since he is a solid forechecker and, once again, the team leader in hits.
He was a huge and under-appreciated asset, and I think he will be missed. Flames lost Engelland and Ferland in successive off-seasons. Hockey is still a rough and tumble sport. I think that in part, Edmonton has been able to do well against the Flames due to their size and physicality. I think Calgary does struggle a bit against the bigger teams at times. I was thinking (and hoping) that Hathaway was going to be released this season, but can the Flames really afford to let him go now?
He is really the only player I am going to miss. Like I said, I would rather have kept Brodie than Hamilton as I think he is much more dynamic, and I am glad that we added another player that is more 'Brodie' in his play style.
Treliving referenced two things this off-season:
1) Leadership (I am sure Lindholm and Hanifin are great guys, but I would be surprised if they addressed leadership here - not a knock at them, I just expect Treliving to look for a vet of some sort)
2) Scoring - I think for this season at least, it will be a push at best. Whatever Lindholm makes over Ferland (which is not guaranteed btw), will probably be negated by what Hamilton would have provided over Hanifin.
Still, the Flames acquired two potentially important long-term core pieces. It was just a really expensive acquisition, especially dependent on how you view a guy like Ferland.
Treliving has stated numerous times that he likes heavy teams, so I do think that he will be in the market for size as well as in the market for scoring, as well as leadership.
I think that Stone or Kulak may be on the move as well - probably Stone.
This was a gamble trade, but sometimes you just have to roll the dice. If there really was any sort of issues personally with Hamilton, you have to expect a loss in a trade. Fox not signing next season - something I felt was a realistic potential threat - devalues him almost completely to sweetener level, just like Hickey was. Good luck on Carolina signing him - they also have a very deep defensive prospect pool, so 'Ha ha!' to Fox if indeed he was intending on not signing in Calgary.
Still, I will miss Ferland. Good on him for teaching that POS Rinaldo not to play dirty against the Flames.
Good roll of the dice all things considered. Either team can make the other look like morons. Hamilton might 'get it' and become a phenomenal 2-way defencemen (it isn't like he is a finished product), Ferland can very well turn into a 30G guy. Fox might really turn into something really special too.
So can Hanifin and Lindholm. Both highly touted players. Both entered Carolina with a TONNE of expectations on their shoulders. Yeah, they are going to the same coach, but they get to turn the page and start fresh with new line mates. It isn't like they are bad players - they both are young and they have both been improving every year, even if it didn't come as quickly as expected.
Looking forward to seeing how these pieces fit on the Flames next season. I think I will actually like the back-end more right away - Hanifin (if he is like Brodie) will be a much better skater with the puck and be a better puck distributor than Hamilton, and the pairs might be better. I was already thinking that Brodie is going to have a better season under Peters anyway with how Peters stated he wants the defencemen to operate, but getting back to his more familiar side and familiar partner makes this an even safer bet.
This off-season promised a lot of intrigue and interest, and it has been delivering. Lots of changes thus far.
Still miss Ferland.
|