Quote:
Originally Posted by TheScorpion
I don't think TJ Brodie should be traded because of an expansion draft. I think he should be dealt for the same reason I thought Micheal Ferland was a "must-trade" heading into last summer -- because his value is at an all-time high, he's entering the last year of his deal, and he can likely be replaced internally with ease.
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I think you are jumping the gun saying he can be replaced with ease, and that Ferland Brodie are not as comparable as you seem to think it is.
Let's not forget that Ferland wasn't just traded for futures. He was part of a deal where 2 NHL players were exchanged for 2 other NHL players. The contracts did play a role, but there was also the idea of trying to find some better fits to make a non playoff team play better. The Flames didn't have any internal replacment for him. They traded for a right hand shooting forward that they thought might offer something their team was missing. A team that had 0 playoff wins in 3 years and 1 appearance in that time. It was a team that had not been very good, and needed to be improved a lot.
This current Flames are a first place team and a lot still is to be determined in the season. I'd want to see how they ultimately finish, how they do in the playoffs before I jump to a conclusion like this. At this point this is a team that may be good enough, and only require some minor tweaking right now.
Us wannabe armchair GM's always love to think about the future and continuously build for it...trade every pending UFA for more picks...never pay a player over 27...all the current rage....but there is a today to consider too. If this team proves good enough to be in the Conference final, I don't know if I'd want to take a guy like Brodie out of the lineup for next year, especially if he was to have a good playoffs. Yes great value from a trade perspective. But there are only so many chances to actually win, and next year might well be one. By the time that first round picks and one of those prospects are in the lineup...you've traded off Gaudreau for the same reason.