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Originally Posted by transplant99
No.
This is year 1 of a window opening. One that is set up to last at least 4.
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I view the window now as the remaining contract years of Gaudreau before the team will have to consider some franchise defining deals to avoid bottoming out in the long term. I think you can win twice with tkachuk, with two different core groups.
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Guys could easily be drafted this upcoming June and be able to contribute at the end of that 4 year window and that's assuming that Gaudreau isn't re-signed or no one is able to assume Giordano's role....never mind the likelihood of trades in the interim that can supplement those lost for other reasons that can extend that time frame easily.
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Definitely, guys could be drafted, and the Flames seem to have as much luck in the mid and later rounds as they do in the first round so in my mind you can still do deals to accumulate you picks later in the draft. When the Penguins dropped a 1st for Iginla, they also got a 3rd back in the trade for Morrow. The ante point for the deadline for top tier talent though is a 1st rounder, and that's a price I'd be willing to pay were I Treliving.
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It's a long game view.
What you are suggesting is they blow their brains out in year 1 when possibly 4 of the 6 Dmen to go into the post season have never played a minute of playoff intensity hockey. That seems asinine to me.
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I don't see trading a 1st round pick and or a marginal forward/prospect to be blowing their brains out. The Flames have been throwing away picks for marginal players for years now, why not deal a substantial pick for a substantial return?
As it regards defenders, I think that's a bit of old time hockey mentality creeping in. 5 or 10 years ago I might've agreed with you, but this is a young man's game now. Djoos played 22 games for Washington last year and he's a year older than Andersson. Maybe that's a deal to be had, a veteran defender to push one of valimaki or andersson into the 7th dman role. Adam McQuaid is on the last year of his deal, acceptable cap hit. Ron Hainsey was acquired by the penguins for a 2nd and a prospect. Good trade in hindsight.
I just think the proper team building strategy is you trade picks when your window is open and acquire them when it's closed. More or less it doesn't really matter that much what your prospect situation is at the time because it's about the guys you have under contract right now.
Hockey is mostly luck, so when it looks like your chances are better than usual, I think the rational play is to try to improve those chances as much as possible. Established players that bring a quantifiable contribution to the roster in that moment give you the best chance for success.
If the Flames weren't playing so well right through the roster I wouldn't be advocating so strongly, but I don't think there's a serious poster on this board that can tell me that they don't think this team, right now, isn't
feeling it. The backup goalie has a ~.930 save percentage and the team's top point producer is still on his entry level deal. The team captain is having a Norris calibre season at age 35. In 2 years the Flames are going to lose a good player to expansion.
The time is now.