Quote:
Originally Posted by Brick
I don't believe for one second that it makes the team worse if Troy Brouwer is playing for the Flames this fall. He is still better than many of their other options.
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Is he though?
Gaudreau - Monahan - Neal
Tkachuck - Backlund - Lindholm
Bennett - Jankowski - Ryan
Frolik
regardless of what the lines are, those 10 are ahead of him. That leaves 2 spots from the following players:
Czarnik, Lazar, Hathaway, Mangiapane, Foo, Dube and Brouwer.
I think it's a safe bet that Czarnik is in the lineup and is ahead of him. That leaves 1 spot from the other 6 guys. Is he better than them all? Even if you think he is, it is a marginal difference. And I would rather the spot was given to whichever of the young guys earned it.
Rotate them, keep them hungry. Let them provide energy. For me, that is a better use of the spot.
Also, if buying him out is the difference between a long term deal or not for Hanifin, then I definitely think it's worth it.
One final note on the cap space: having a little room to be able to pick someone up at the deadline, or pick up an emergency goalie if Smith got hurt, is well worth having.