How the heck do they hang onto Gio when they will have to have a top-4 d-man replacing Brodie/Hamonic/Gustaffson/Forbort who are all UFAs
Right now the Flames have 5 d-men NHL level signed for next year.. Gio, Andersen, Hanifin, Valimaki and Kylington. There are no teams that would pencil in Kylington as a top-4 and a lot that would have him in the AHL.
They have 3 guys that will be happy with a strong AHL season with 10 NHL games thrown in.. Mackey, Poolman and Valisev.
Something has to give.
The Flames are not going into next season with a Journeyman player as a top-4 D or just default the spot to Valimaki and hope for the best.
The Flames are pretty much paper-thin on defense until they trade for or sign a top 4 d-man and likely one more solid NHL guy.
If Brodie re-signed for 6M x 4 would they be willing to let him go in the expansion draft?
Even signing 29 yr old Hamonic to a sweet 3.5M x 4 ...
Say they sign De Melo for 4 x 4. The cheapest guy in the potential top-4 d-men Think they want to lose him to Seattle?
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