[Huntingwhale]

Lindholm - Keep him and build around him. Best all around player on the team and his good games outweigh his bad games significantly. Excellent production for his cap hit. Swedish players age like fine wine. If you asked me when he was a 'Cane if I would ever choose him over Monahan I'd laugh at you. But clearly he has surpassed him and it's an easy choice to keep him

Gaudreau - I'm down to keep Johnny if he wants to re-sign and if he get's a legit #1 C to play with. I think he cares and is adapting to Sutter's system. But the conversation needs to be had with him; are you wanting to re-sign at a team-friendly cap hit ASAP, or are you going to hold off until UFA? What he answers defines what happens to him. Does he shy away and get scared from physical contact when games tighten up? He does. But it's hardly his fault given his size. He NEEDS to be surrounded by tougher teammates to carry over his regular season success and it's a massive failure on the organization's part to fail to surround him with help. Trading Johnny is definitely a core shakeup. But kiss our offence goodbye unless a comparable player or true #1 C is coming back. Flames are a bottom 3 offensive team if they lose that trade and don't replace his offence.

Monahan - I think he'd be an excellent #2 C. But if he continuously relied upon to be the #1 the Flames will continue to tread water. Don't care if his supporter throw out whatever excel sheet to show he's a #1. The eye ball test says he is not. He epitomises what is wrong with the Flames; lack of drive, no extra gear, slow pace. He used to be clutch. Than that skillset disappeared. If the core needs a shakeup, he's my #1 target to trade.

Gio - Love Gio but time to move on. As heartless as it sounds, I don't care about the organizations loyalty towards a veteran player and doing what is best for him and not the organization. Didn't work well with Iginla and it won't work well again here. If they can find a taker, trade him.

Tkachuk - Bit on the fence with this one. I'm not ready to ship him off as many posters are. Players are allowed to have down seasons and last season he was talked about as being untradeable and the future captain. I don't think a seasons where pretty much everybody has regressed changes that. The ONLY way I want him traded is if Sutter sits down with Treliving, points to a photo of Tkachuk and says "I have identified Matthew Tkachuk as part of the rot here that is holding this franchise back and he must go". He is still producing at the same rate he did last season, but the intangibles are gone ever since the puck flip and whatever talking to was given to him. The only way I'd consider trading him is if the contract situation blows up, or the Flames made what is very very very clearly a win-trade for a #1 C.

Backlund - Frustrating at times, but an excellent middle 6 C and the team will miss his heavy lifting if he goes. The only thing I don't like about him is his cap hit. But the on-ice player I am fine with the most part.

Markstrom - Don't need to play the goalie carousal again. While he's had his faults at times, trading him out of spite simply leads to another ~decade long search for a #1 G yet again. I think with a better team in front he fares much better. The #1 G is way down the list of issues with the team right now.

Overall the Flames desperately need a true #1 C if they ever hope to compete consistently. That's a tough asset to find so the GM has his work cut out. I'm okay to trade for a guy like Eichel even if it means overpaying a bit. Short term paid for some long term gain.