Quote:
Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois
It was 1 first and 2 seconds for a 22 year old potential all star. A younger, better player than Chychrun for the same price - and his trade was panned.
Leaving the team with an all star calibre player at centre (x2), wing, and D, all under 23.That's brilliant.
In typical flames fashion it went to #### but the flames were clearly rebuilding ~2011-2016, and clearly should have been trying to take the next step afterward.
I think some need to remember when.
The flames had 18 yr old Sam, Mony, Johnny, Then Hamilton, and Tkachuk.
You'd be nuts not to add to that group with UFAs and go for it.
Looking back it's crazy how close they came. The difference between the Flames then and the Devils now is .. Mony's injuries and the Harmonic deal not working out?
While the Mullets in the north did everything wrong but just kept winning lotteries the Flames did almost everything right and lost anyway.
|
The difference is that Sam Bennett was a bust relatively speaking to where he was drafted and Monahan had such a rapid decline (mostly injury related). If Bennett had panned out even remotely close to what a top 5 pick now typically does in the NHL, the Flames would have been off and running with Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett, Tkachuk upfront.
This should have been the Flames elite top 6 duos for the next 7-8 years to go along with Backlund holding down the third line during this time. It all went south there from my standpoint when it was clear Bennett had much larger flaws than anticipated and Monahan was unable to make it through a season healthy.