Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacks
It's pretty unlikely that he would have only brought a 3rd round pick with a year left at at 6.75M and they wouldn't have had to rebuild the entire team, he would have (or at least should have) brought back a good return. This isn't hindsight, plenty of people were calling for him to be extended or traded prior to his NTC kicking in. Regardless, here we are with no player and not even something as crappy as a 3rd round pick to show for it. If the Tkachuk situation doesn't get solved by some miracle this team really will need a rebuild and will be in a worse position.
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I think he was referring more to the situation where he told the team before the draft and the Flames could have moved his rights for a 3rd Round Pick or something.
If they move him last year they probably get something like a 1st and a Prospect, or a 1st and a 2nd.
The trade market is never super strong in the NHL for small scoring wingers. Debrincat is coming off a 40 goal, PPG season and he got a 1st, 2nd, 3rd this year and he still has RFA rights at the end of his deal.
So really it comes down to if you were willing to take the risk of getting a return for Gaudreau, vs. going for it for one season with Sutter at the helm with this core and then he walks for nothing or might still re-sign. And in a different universe where the Flames don't have atrocious goaltending and then forgot how to play hockey maybe it would have paid off.