Quote:
Originally Posted by GioforPM
Obviously I’m a Gio fan but no way am I spending assets to keep him for 1 year at an overpayment. In fact, given this decline was expected for the life of the contract, I’m of the opinion Seattle is helping me by taking on that last year. And I’m giving him a big video tribute when he returns for his game.
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Yep, being sentimental is what cost us when the decision was finally made to trade Iginla. It's a great story when a player plays their whole career from one franchise, but I care more about the product than the lore.
It's a little different with Gio than Iginla. Trading Iginla a year or two earlier would have set this franchise up for years. In the end, Iginla wanted to go to a contender anyway and we had to settle for pennies on the dollar. It's a business for the players and loyalty only goes so far.
With Gio, he peaked late but there was always the understanding that despite that, father time catches up to everyone and teams weren't likely to pay a lot. At this point, it would be a cap decision more than a direct asset management decision to let him go. I won't be too worried if we let him ride it out, but I wouldn't want the team to go out of their way for it either.