[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I can't see the Sabres going for a deal from the Flames that has lottery protection for picks. Otherwise what's the point for them? The rest of the pieces from the Flames aren't good enough. You have to give up something of value.

When I say lottery protection, I mostly just mean Top-1 protection, just because of the specific pieces (Wright / Bedard) in play. We're talking about guys being compared to Crosby and McDavid here. At the least, MacKinnon tier talents.

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

So the deal you are proposing is Monahan, Dube, Valimaki, and prospects or picks.

That is a significant hit to the team from a depth perspective. Do the Flames have the horses in the minors to make up for the loss?

In my opinion, yes we do, but it requires doing what the 2016 Penguins or 2020 Lightning did and actually trying to discover our version of a Conor Sheary or Carter Verhaeghe or such in the NHL.

Here's a lineup sans Valimaki/Monahan/Dube/(Coronato? Pellettier?) I'd be more than open to see:

Top line

Tkachuk - Eichel - Phillips(/Coronato if we can keep him)

Two highly skilled big bodies to allow Phillips' so-called questionmark to be mitigated. And if that doesn't work? You can cycle different guys in an out. I don't see that qs being any different from the fact that we're currently trying Brett Ritchie on a line with Mangiapane and Dube. It's unideal, but it's reality. I'd rather try Phillips over Ritchie.

Second line

Gaudreau - Lindholm - Mangiapane

Give Gaudreau two of our best finishers and a balanced, high compete level. Nobrainer.

Third line

Coleman - Backlund - Pitlick

Three vets with checking ability. Not much needs to be changed here in the short term, and with the stronger top six you're asking less of this line offensively than we currently might be. Long term, you hope a prospect can stepup to be a decent twoway checker in that Pitlick role. We're not asking for highend talent here. Maybe Walker Deuhr is that guy. Who knows.

Fourth line

Lucic - Richardson - Lewis

It's your fourth line. I'm not saying it should be neglected, but even a couple nights ago we saw a fourth line of Ritchie - Gawdin - Lewis give us a dominant shift that indirectly led to a Lindholm goal. I'm sure Sutter can make it work with some tweaking. Lucic gets blasted often but he's still a solid depth NHLer. I honrstly liked what I saw of Lucic - Ruzicka - Phillips in game 82 last year... I'd be willing to give that trio a chance. I reiterate - it's your fourth line.

Top 4D don't change if you hang onto them.

So what about your third pair? Well Gudbranson might not be the focal point, so Zadorov-Kinnvall is a pair I'd be open to trying, once Shinny is healthy. And if Kinnvall isn't up to the lofty task of sheltered #6 puckmoving right D, you ask Arizona at the deadline if Anton Stralman is available. Zadorov-Stralman would be an acceptable third pair, both in terms of experience and ability, but also fit together.

Are there any free agents out there they can sign for cheap to make up for the loss?

Every year there is a Tobias Rieder or such available to round out the bottom. Though I'd be more interested in Type VI UFAs on the market with upside.

If they trade three roster players for Eichel, who will be possibly out for the season, they are throwing the towel in on 2021-22.

That risk does exist. It exists with the current healthy roster too though. In terms of risk vs reward, I'm fine with it.

On the flipside, maybe not having Eichel is the catalyst for a breakout for a Zary, Ruzicka or a Phillips or whoever else gets a chance. It's no more risky than playing a broken Monahan all year last year was. The 2014-15 Flames made the playoffs with Granlund and Jooris and Wotherspoon and Diaz among their depth guys.

We have a coach who can get the players to execute. Something we have not had for many years.

So if we have to try to make the playoffs with:

Gaudreau- Lindholm - Coleman
Tkachuk - Backlund - Mangiapane
Lucic - Ruzicka - Phillips
Ritchie - Richardson - Lewis

Hanifin-Andersson
Kylington-Tanev
Zadorov-Kinnvall

Markstrom
Vladar

then so be it. The team up North for all the flack they get have had a playoff-worthy regular season record since Tippett took over rolling barely two lines. The assumption for us is that Eichel would be back towards the end of the season.

Without the depth, they're in trouble. If we were further along in the development of Pelletier and Zary, I might be more inclined to take the gamble. It is a really tough decision.

It's a gamble short term, but I think it's an easy decision.