Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
The only reason to move a core piece out like Johnny at the deadline is if you believe you could get more for him then that during the off-season.
Which I don't believe to be likely.
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Well, that's not the only reason.
The main reason would be because you think this is a playoff team and trading Gaudreau would gut that. That's why they traded picks for players.
In my opinion, in a planned sell off of a core player, you'd get no better return than dealing him at a deadline with 1 year remaining on his deal.
Of any kind of circumstance, deadline with 1 year remaining with Salary retention is the absolute peak of a players value to a contending team.
But then, you'd have to be willing to settle for none of that return being able to play for you for the remainder of the season and we know the flames aren't willing to do that.
It gives the acquiring team the opportunity to assess how the player fits and performs in crunch time as well as giving them first crack at re-signing the player and making appropriate salary cap adjustments during the off-season before his final contract year.
If the flames decide to trade gaudreau this summer they will get less for him than they could have had they let teams know he was available in the weeks leading up to deadline day at 25-50% retained.
All the biggest deals on deadline day involved getting more than 82 games worth of play potential.