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Originally Posted by ComixZone
To cycle back on this trade though, I hope Sharangovich is what the Flames scouts think he can be. I don’t like this trade as it is - I think there’s too much risk on Calgary’s side given how Sharangovich trended towards the end of his time in NJD…but I really hope he swings back around.
I also don’t like the trade because it does carry a certain “compete now” weight to it, and I think that’s a silly first step for Conroy because if they can’t retain Lindholm (and I don’t think they should), the bottom falls out of this team and any attempts to stay relevant become even more fever-dream based.
So why lead with this trade when you don’t really have a direction set…unless of course, you believe the direction is set - regardless of whether you have your 1st line centre or not…? That’s what I suspect is the truth of it, that this team isn’t being realistic about their roster construction with and without Lindholm. As a fan I’m just looking for a clear direction…and this trade is leaning towards a certain direction that to me just doesn’t make sense anymore. |
Like you, I believe the Flames need to turn dramatically toward the future, but I don't see this deal as being indicative of the team not committing to that course. You ask why lead with this trade? Just guessing, but I would say that this is the deal that CAN be made, and gives them opportunities to pivot as needed. If there are deals out there involving swaps of players and picks lower than that held by the Flames it is unlikely those deals can be made until the pick is actually on the table. Let's say Buffalo and Calgary have discussed pick 13. Buffalo may not be willing to trade that pick if one of the top 5 guys on their board fell to 13. Maybe they value a D in the draft more than they would value Hanifin, or maybe somebody else drops that would make the pick untouchable in their eyes, regardless given the quality at the top end of the draft it would be difficult to pry those picks away until the Sabres/team in question knows what they are looking at. Being only a day away from having that answer those deals likely don't get made before the picks start coming off the board.
Using Buffalo as an example, perhaps they value Oliver Moore and he falls to 13. In such a case they may be interested in dealing a now redundant Matthew Savoie and other picks/prospects in the event the draft falls that way, but that pick would now be inaccessible. We would only know this during the draft and I would have to believe the Flames have discussed such scenarios with some potential trade partners.
The Toffoli deal was something both sides could obviously live with, and acquiring an NHL ready player may mean the Flames are merely 'tooling, not building, but it could also mean they have a competent player in place if they were to move another forward of significance tomorrow. We'll soon know, but I don't take this move today to be an indicator that the Flames aren't doing business differently than what we've grown accustomed to watching, I'd like to think the team is simply being pragmatic as they approach an overhaul.