Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSquatch
Yes, the obvious "How do you get a top winger" is to trade a defensive chip, and I almost feel like the Flames have enough on the back end to manage this. There's enough talent around, but if you move anyone the slotting gets a lot worse. Add injuries into it and things get dangerous fast. Hanifin is our current best at left D.
So presumably a pickup at the end of the year, where the mil they have left over is enough to cover the contract (presumably expiring).
Maybe Toffoli will be fine, or maybe there's some rotation of wingers between the lines. I don't think it's insurmountable, and if the pair of Huberdeau and Lindholm is going to work with genuine chemistry, then the third guy may ALWAYS look like the third guy out there - kind of like whoever was on the ice with the Sedins at any given time.
BT turned Johnny Walker, a broken Monahan, and Tkachuk into Huberdeau, Weegar, and Kadri. If they need a winger, he'll manage it.
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There simply are very few “top wingers” available, even at the price of a top 4 D from Calgary. I assume top line winger is someone better than Toffoli or Mangiapane, so someone who’s elite or very close. Any team interested in a top 4 D is a contender. Why are they giving up a top line RW? It’s just creating a hole to fill another.
You might be able to find someone on a rebuilding team if they are older and not in their plans and you can pay a bunch of picks and prospects. But then I’m assuming their contract is big and you have to fit it under your cap.
The Flames have, without sending a bunch of salary out, maybe $3M assuming Kylington is LTD.