I read some of these posts and don't understand. This team is not finishing last overall or close to that without Gaudreau on the roster. I am curiously optimistic that the Flames could surprise many people without Gaudreau. This year had more to do with Sutter than a star player elevating the rest of the team.
Worse teams just looking at the standings from last year include: Arizona, Buffalo, Chicago, Seattle, Montreal, Anaheim, San Jose, Philadelphia, Seattle ... That is nearly the top ten picks right there. If the Flames were to tank for the 2023 draft they needed to start last year while they were winning the division.
There is also no cap room on most teams available to sell off every player on the roster, unless you think the Flames should take on every bad contract in the league - and why would teams just give away players whose bad contracts expire. They very likely won't be at 111 points or division winner but the same roster is fighting for a division playoff spot or wild card spot at the least, in my opinion.
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