Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger
Even if you’re not a fan of these moves, you need to stop and think about this from a distance, not in isolation. I would’ve preferred Kadri and Hubes were both 24 but those guys aren’t available right now. Almost never are.
What were the other options? Do nothing? Trade Markstrom, let Darryl retire and spend the next 3-∞ years rebuilding?
Short of getting in a time machine and going back to convince Tre to trade both Johnny and Chucky last summer, there’s not much management could have done here.
Flames had a window to win and Tre made the best moves possible to make that happen. Sure, they’re possibly going to backfire hard in 5 years and we’ll be the next Chicago or Minny or SJ but whatever. Better to go all in and lose in spectacular fashion than never play a hand and bleed chips until you’re eliminated because making a big move felt too scary.
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I think Sutter is key to the whole approach the Flames have taken.
He's probably expressed to management that he came to win, not coach a young team through a rebuild. So tearing it down means he - the best coach the Flames have had twice - will be gone and the team's chances of victory recede far into the misty future.
In that sense, they felt they had to act for the here and now, as they still had enough pieces that they were closer to winning now than to predicting a future date by which they might be competitive again.
A couple of these contracts will reek in 6 years, but between now and then at least there will be a shot.