Quote:
Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!
The Flames’ window is open *now*.
This is not a drill. The stars are aligning, and the Flames will likely hit the post-season as top seed in the division, possibly the entire conference.
Gio is playing on borrowed time. The chances of him ever being this good again are extremely small. Tkachuk is on his ELC, and he’s going to do an extra $6-7m worth of damage to the roster next year.
The coach and the team are clicking. The roster is healthy. The starting goalie is in the groove.
It’s entirely realistic that RIGHT NOW is the best chance this core will ever have to win the cup.
I would absolutely pay a 1st and a prospect for a top-tier rental right now. The Flames need size, physicality, and secondary scoring (particularly for the 2PP unit). Ferland might be the best player on the market to fill those needs.
I think it’s time to go all-in.
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If you are of this mind (as am I), and are willing to pay a first plus a prospect, why not do the same thing with a slightly higher price tag to acquire Mark Stone?
While Ferland is good, I think we all wax nostalgic for his performance against the Canucks in the playoffs a few years back. The reality is he hasn't been able to maintain that level of play, or to even stay consistently healthy, over the past few years.
If the Flames are pushing their chips in this season, and I think they should, then do so. In poker you don't go "kind of all-in" to win, just like you can't get half pregnant.
Pay the price for Mark Stone. 1st + two prospects gets it done. Then you have two legitimately terrifying lines to roll out for 17-19 mins a night, and your bottom two lines get even more dangerous because Frolik gets easier match ups.
Properly slotted depth is the reason the Flames have had a great season so far. People aren't playing out of their element. The one exception to that is the hole at 2nd line RW. Plug that hole with one of the best all around RW's in the league, and see if that's enough to hoist the cup in June.