Quote:
Originally Posted by dino7c
Slightly easier in Tampa
Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Fox, Stone ect. If Calgary was a more desirable market. Not to mention the better contracts for players you do manage to keep.
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But these things are known. The Flames need to operate knowing these things. Lot of other small market teams have no problem having success. Basically unless you are in Alberta, Phoenix, or Buffalo (who looks like they may have finally turned a corner) you seem to figure it out. (And even the Oilers made a conference finals by smoking the Flames and will be in the Playoffs this year)
If you are going to have trouble signing elite FA's (or any) without overpaying why continue to do so? If you are going to struggle to keep your stars you better lock them up early and take a chance they continue to develop like every other team is doing nowadays.
The Flames strategy has not worked at all in the cap ERA for this team. Yet here we are, continueing to do the same thing.
This franchise is one of the worst over the past 20 years (cap years) success wise. And now look at our situation- Maxed to the Cap, with a lot of our best performing players contracts expiring the year after next, sitting outside the playoffs, with a depleted farm system.
And yet some people will always find an excuse why it isn't the GM's fault, the teams fault or the players fault.
This team's window was this year and next before they are too old and get even more expensive. And we're sitting outside of the playoffs in one of the weakest conference in memory.
The construction of this roster considering the age and cost is nothing short of a disaster. And after next year it will get considerable worst baring someone (Or 2) from the farm to become stars.