Quote:
Originally Posted by dino7c
Depends if the goal is to win or be average for longer...Panthers were the best team in the NHL and should have ran it back IMO. How many teams have we seen own the regular season and then choke in the playoffs only to run it back and get over the hump. Tampa, Colorado, ect.
Sure they have Tkachuk playing as well as possible and likely as well as he ever will yet they are a bubble team with no first round picks for what 3 years? I highly doubt they get back to being a high end team anytime soon.
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They are a bubble team now and so are the Flames. They also lost Ekblad for a large chunk of this season. Their biggest mistake wasn’t the Tkachuk trade it was the Chairot and Giroux deals that cost them 2 1sts and a young player in Tippett. They also lost Mason Marchment who was a solid contributor. They sit here on the bubble with Tkachuk (24), Barkov (27), Knight (21), Lundell (20), Reinhart (27) Bennett (26), Ekblad (27) as their core. Players that should get better over time.
Flames are already locked into 3 guys to huge money and term who are in their 30’s for the bulk of their deals. Coleman still has 4 years left over 30. Tanev, Backlund, Toffoli expire soon, Markstrom still with 2 years after this all will be in their early/mid 30’s
I am not saying they absolutely should shop Lindholm/Hanifin this summer but if this team doesn’t take a step forward I would be leery to lock up 2 more guys to massive money for their 30+ seasons nor would I want to walk them to free agency for nothing. No doubt both will want to be paid after being underpaid for the bulk of their deals, especially Lindholm who fired his agent early in this contract with the Flames