Quote:
Originally Posted by Monahammer
You're such an alarmist. I just suggested a bunch of 2nd rate pieces for a goalie with legitimate starting potential (something this team sorely lacks and that would certainly solidify our future in net) and a player with two straight 60 point campaigns (he would immediately become our third best offensive player).
What depth are you actually worried about losing in those trades? From my recollection you dont even like hamonic, so losing him shouldn't hurt too bad. Bennett and janko are garbage compared to nylander, gillies isn't even close to saros, and the 1st + dube+ kylington are longshots to hold a job in the nhl at this point. Our depth would be relatively untouched (if anything the addition of nylander fortifies the depth in our top 9 an overwhelming amount.)
Those trades aren't even enough for the pieces I was seeking. Both are likely rejected easily by the opposing team. Take off the homer glasses.
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What depth am I concerned about losing in those two trades? Are you really that dense?
First, you are trading away a top four defenseman that we desperately need. With TJ Brodie being a complete unknown at this point we need proven quantities on the blueline to solidify that component of the team. But let’s say you stupidly go and make the deal anyway. Hamonic and Kylington are out of the system. Valimaki is pushed into playing, and likely playing in a top four capacity, without any experience what so ever. Andersson is already pencilled in to the lineup, so what happens when an iury hits? What is left on the farm as a possible replacement on the blueline? Oh, there isn’t anyone because you just traded away our depth!
Second, you’re carving out a quality cost controlled player that can play and contribute right now at a very important position (center). Sure, you bring in Nylander, but to what point? He’s going to be a $6M player, and playing on the wing, so all you’ve done is add yet another high priced piece and weaken us down the middle. Worse, you’ve moved probably our best asset in Dube who you hope will develop into that two-way player in the middle that will also help keep costs controlled.
Third, long term you’ve cut the legs out from under the team. Darryl Sutter did this with all the trades he made, and the franchise paid dearly for it. I don’t ever want to see this team wander that wilderness again, where we had nothing on the farm and no future to rely upon. Developing players that will continually step in every year is the key to long term success in the NHL. The second you have a poor development system is the second your window of opportunity begins to close. The Flames already have a gap in their development pool, and that is going to hurt them in the near future, There is no reason to compound that gap by making more bad trades where we lose future assets.
The Flames upset the Oilers in ‘86, then won a Stanley Cup in ‘89, because they had depth in the system. They were able to pull in a Nieuwendyk, Roberts, Vernon, Suter, MacInnis, and Fleury, and then still have Hull in the minors to make the deal to fortify an already great roster for the cup run. Depth is systemic, and great teams have depth on the farm to use when they need it.
Nothing alarmist about that. Just the way the game is.