Quote:
Originally Posted by ricardodw
I find it interesting that there is no concern about the Flames missing their future Norris Trophy winner and league leading scoring d-man - Hamilton.
A lot of analysis of the 2017-18 Flames team underperforming was based on the "fact" that Hamilton was a top-10 in the league D-man and Hamilton-Gio was a top pairing defense in the league. With this assumption and a good/ near great #1 line and Smith playing like a top 10 goalie the Flames should have won a lot more games.
Yet after moving Hamilton it appears that there is universal consensus that the roster has significantly improved.
If Hamilton was a top 10 d-man and a likely Norris candidate then the roster would actually be down graded. Take Pronger out of Edmonton, Doughty out of LA, Hedman out of Tampa, Burns out of SJ, Keith out of the Hawks, Suter out of Min and they would extremely hard pressed not to be considered down graded.
I guess that a bulk of posters agree that Hamilton was not as important as he was said to be when he was a Flame.
This team's biggest risks are:
1) goalie what is Smith's norm and are Rittich/Gillies able to win 17 games in 30 starts.
2) Backlund/Frolik over 30 , was last season "unlucky" or was it a sign of decline
3) Does Gio ever slow down?
4) Hamilton actually was their best d-man
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Nice try. First of all, Pronger, Doughty and Burns are the best players on their teams and Hedman isn't far off. Hamilton may well be a future star, but he wasn't even Calgary's best defenceman when he was traded.
Second, tell me, after taking out Pronger, Doughty, Hedman, Burns, Keith or Suter, did any of those teams have a top four like Gio, Hamonic, Hanifin and Brody left? On LA you have Muzzin - he's a top end defenceman but then nothing comparable. Tampa you have Sergachev left - a second year player. SJ you get Vlasic and Braun and that's it. I bet that, without looking, you couldn't even name an Edmonton defenceman left after Pronger went south. Keith (and his 32 points) goes and you get the overrated Seabrook.