Loosing elite players in Free Agency in the (relative) prime of their careers is not ok. There is no way to replace them in free agency. There are maybe 50 elite type talents in the NHL. They don't come around often
This is evident that in the last decade very few teams have lost an elite FA in their prime. Teams do not let this happen.
However - It is also unacceptable to trade an elite player in their prime for picks and prospects unless you are in full rebuild mode and this player wont be in their prime when you are ready to compete. Teams trading an elite talent for parts loosing 90% of the time.
So the Flames are screwed either way. Their only hope is to win and hope JG wants to resign. Either other solution means we are worst next year which means we are toast and should be in a full rebuild. You cant win without elite talent in the NHL and we have two elite talents.
In reality the Flames can probably get relatively close assets in the offseason using JG's cap space by taking on bad contracts like Carolina or Phoenix did and rebuilding , as they would be trading JG.
The ultimate sin would be to loose JG for nothing, sign an overpriced middle 6 forward for 6 million, another for 4 million, and go for it again without JG and not use the asset OR cap space to rebuild.
And I think option 3 is what have most people terrified. That in 2 years we are starting a fresh rebuild with no elite talent and no elite potential talent in the pipeline.
That is a rebuild that can take a very long time and has a higher chance at failure.
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