It would have been a lot easier to stomach and want to pursue a rebuild if things didn’t go so well for the Flames last year. Career years by practically the entire roster and the love for Sutter was unconditional and endless. Elite in net, low goals against, high goals for 111pts. If the team was on the bubble and Gaudreau and Tkachuk walked it would have been much easier to go down the path of a full tear down and let Oiler fans revel in the fact they did send the Flames to a rebuild. Moving Markstrom, Lindholm, Hanifin, Tanev, Tkachuk, Mangiapane for pure futures and cap dumps. Not signing Zadorov or Kadri and anticipating starting it over with a new coach and chase Bedard would have been a more palatable option. Last season was just too good. Markstrom was elite, Lindholm and Mangiapane looked like budding superstars. Anderson, Hanifin, Kylington all key pieces of the blueline for years to come. Replacing the free agent loss of Gaudreau with Kadri and turning Tkachuk in Huberdeau/Weegar felt like the team was able and ready to take a step forward not back. The team was too good and the fans were drunk of member berries of having Sutter behind the bench again that the rebuild path was not the obvious first choice. Some in hindsight are feeling regret and that is understandable but at the time it didn’t make a ton of sense to many including myself
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