Quote:
Originally Posted by transplant99
For sure it started with that deal and the subsequent on ice play.
This just digs the hole a WHOLE lot bigger though and for a variety of reasons.
Again this is just a bad contract (Neal) being put on steroids.
Truly feels like a move out of desperation and those very rarely ever work out
|
I also agree this has desperation written all over it.
I think when Maloney said they went to bed thinking they had a major deal done when the only flames rumour at the time was the flames being front runners for Mark Stone, and then Treliving saying the Ottawa ask was 2x1sts + valimaki and Andersson, I think the flames were desperate to move Neal THEN.
I think that's how desperate they were to move Neal. I think they were seriously going to pay that price for stone if it meant moving Neal to Ottawa at the deadline.
And I also think the pro scouting report around Neal last year was so bad Ottawa was not willing to take Neal even with valimaki and Andersson and 2x1sts coming back, because James Neal is done as a hockey player and they did not want a 20 million dollar salary liability to buyout.
And I think based on their evaluation that Ottawa was right considering what Toronto paid to dump a single year of Marleau.
The flames tried to jump start their competitive window and it backfired horrifically. Mostly I think that is flames ownership MO and not tre, but ultimately he is signing the contracts and doing the deals.
I've been through several if these now as a flames fan and while it isnt close to the phaneuf deal in terms of being terrible, it certainly has that same stink if desperation to it.
If lucic is awful to start the season or if Talbot is not good that's probably it for treliving by Christmas.