Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
Other teams can be desperate or impatient too. Look at Vegas. When they concluded their window was now, they traded away two very good prospects in Suzuki (drafted 13 OA) and Brannstrom (15 OA). Suzuki looks like he'll be a #1/2 C. Brannstrom is likely a top-4 d-man going forward, maybe even top pairing. I think the Habs and Sens are both happy with those deals now.
What is rarely on the table are elite blue chip prospects like Cozens, or top 8 OA picks. They're just too valuable to teams in an era when the draft is the lifeblood of a franchise, and impact players on entry-level contracts are absolute gold.
The Flames should rebuild properly. Acquire lots of 1st and 2nd round picks and rebuild through the draft. But they won't. Edwards is too arrogant or impatient. And ownership won't want a team sitting 26th in the NHL when their corporate box and seasons tickets drives are in high gear two years from now. Treliving's marching orders will be to retool.
Ownership might come to their senses if the Flames miss the playoffs next season. But just as they did during the Iginla era, they'll refuse to recognize the need for a rebuild until they have no other choice.
Treliving will be active this off-season. Gaudreau, Monahan, maybe Hanifin will be gone. Expect deals for 19-21 year old prospects who are a tier down from blue-chippers, late 1st and 2nd round picks, along with reclamation projects who might benefit from a change of scenery. It also wouldn't surprise me if the team blew any of the salary freed up on a big-ticket UFA like Hall or one of the goalies.
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I think you nail it here. We can talk about rebuilding but it won’t happen in the sense you tear it down and make a ton of picks and hope to suck bad enough to get a top pick in a deep draft. No guarantees that works. Winnipeg was painfully patient to see a window last exactly 1 year. So many of their great prospects didn’t pan out.
I could see picks in the 7-10 range being on the table. Arizona wanted to push forward and traded the 7th pick in 2017 for Stepan and Raanta. Buffalo is a team desperate to take a step forward and will have interest in Monahan no doubt. New Jersey is also a team that has picked high several years and will want to push their program forward and Gaudreau is a nice fit there.
Those are the teams the Flames should target. That is what Philly did when they traded Richards and Carter. LA was a young up and coming team with some deep prospects and traded former 5th overall pick Schenn along with young roster player Simmons and a 2nd for Richards. Columbus was a team desperate to get help for their superstar winger Rick Nash so they gave up the 8th pick and recent top 10 pick in Voracek to get Carter.
Those are the teams the Flames should be targeting for trades with Monahan and Gaudreau.