Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
The only two that apply to the flames are those two options because of the decisions they have made up to this point.
The reason scorched earth is necessary is because off the boom and bust cycle the flames have employed for 20 years.
If you're the St Louis blues you don't need to go scorched earth.
When you're making the least amount of picks in the entire league over a 5 year period you absolutely have to go scorched earth.
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Those are the only two that you think apply to the Flames...but you'd be wrong.
There is still a young core of players on this roster whether you like to admit it or not.
Gaudreau - 27
Monahan - 25
Lindholm -25
Bennett - 24
Mangiapane - 24
Tkachuk - 22
Dube - 22
With Pelletier (19), Gawdin (23), Phillps (22) as pieces that aren't stars but could step into be NHLers based on their junior/AHL performance to date. Pettersen (20) is also ranked quite highly, had a good college career, and is signed to a deal.
And same thing on defense:
Andersson - 23
Hanifin - 23
Kylington - 23
Valimaki - 21
Those 4 are already NHLers at this point and based on how well regarded he is it looks like Mackey (24) will be an NHLer too. Kinnvall (23) is another guy that tore up the Swedish league last year as well that could surprise.
Honestly the biggest thing for this team would be a strong return for Gaudreau. If you could hit a home run with that trade and turn the last two years of 27 year old Gaudreau into longer term pieces it would extend the window of this roster.
And I was just looking at young pieces and excluded Backlund/Giordano. Right now Dallas is in the cup final with Benn (31), Pavelski (36), Radulov (34), Cogliano (33), Comeau (34), Perry (35), Sekera (34) playing contributing roles for them, and Tampa has a lot of 30+ year old pieces too. Boston/St.Louis weren't exactly young rosters in the last cup finals either. So not like you don't need some veterans in the mix come playoff time too.