Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
Yes but you have to factor in the contract considerations. If Tkachuk and Gaudreau want to be here for the long-term on reasonable deals great - but that needs to be established VERY soon and if they don't - move them.
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Again, not worth dealing in absolutes. You don't (I'm using a silly example to make the point) trade Gaudreau for a 7th-round pick and two rolls of stick tape just to eliminate the uncertainty about whether he re-signs. You certainly don't do it in the next few days just to get in ahead of his limited NTC.
If you do have to trade Gaudreau, history shows you can improve the return by shopping his expiring contract to contenders at the deadline. He's very unlikely to say, ‘Oh, I don't want to give up three or four whole months of my life playing for a team that has a good chance to win the Stanley Cup.’ The NTC is a non-factor at that point.
Are you familiar with the term ‘guddling’? It means catching fish out of a stream with your bare hands. People sometimes do it out of true desperation, if they're hungry enough and can't get their hands on a line or a fish hook. But it's a lot more effective to use a rod and reel and wait for the fish to bite,
especially if you're in a hurry. It just requires patience, as scarce as that seems to be around here these days.
Some people think the Flames have a desperate need to get rid of Gaudreau before his NTC kicks in, and can't waste time waiting for a bite on the line. They want the team to guddle for a trade partner, no matter how bad the trade turns out to be. There's always a chance that the fish won't bite and you lose Gaudreau for nothing, but your expected return gets a lot worse if you just grab with both hands at a bad offer now.