Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Trading Brodie after this season would be equivalent to the Blackhawks trading away Brandon Saad in 2014 because Saad was a year away from free agency. Then maybe they don't win the cup in 2015.
You don't break up top pairs or top lines on top teams. If we hit a cap crunch there are a lot of names we should be looking to move before Brodie, even if the return is lesser or even negative. If we have to package a Dube with a Stone or Neal it still makes more sense than moving Brodie.
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I agree, though I feel if it came down to Brodie vs Hamonic long term, I would have to go for Hamonic, as his skillset is harder to replace internally.
I would not say the flames HAVE to trade Brodie until Giordano is into his twilight. Those two make each other better, but Brodie does not play as well away from Gio. If keeping him around means you risk long Brodie to the expansion draft, so be it. While the Flames can only protect 3D if they opt to protect 7F, a way that they can make sure to have a good 6 skaters on D is to enter the expansion offseason with 7 NHL D. Protect strategically, and accept that you will lose one, but keeping them all gives you the best shot this year and next.
Trading Brodie sooner means trusting Andersson with top pairing minutes, then either keeping Stone around if he is fit, or trying to play Kylington on his weaker side (I would not move Valimaki over as he is the long term Gio successor IMO). It would have to be a big win that helps the team be as good/better right now and moving forward to be worth it