Quote:
Originally Posted by PepsiFree
I think that, when viewing Calgary's situation, some fans are struggling with the wide gap between what they wish the market was and what it actually is.
Guys with a lot of talent and a lot left to give are being walked to FA, traded for nothing, or traded with sweeteners.
People want to move top players for prospects and picks while every team that needs top players to stay contenders or push themselves into that conversation have already had to let talented guys go for nothing just to get cap compliant. Teams like Toronto have top guys to sign and zero space to do it without moving talented guys out.
Putting Calgary guys aside, for a minute, you have young and prime aged top players like Nylander, Debrincat, Hellebuyck, Konecny, Scheifele, and Pesce, while you have slightly older guys like Karlsson on the market and nobody has found a suitor yet.
Dubois, Toffoli, Provorov and Severson are the only guys making over $4M that have been moved without heavy retention or sweeteners in the last month or so, while Hall, Johansen, Bailey, and Hayes were all moved for nothing with either a sweetener or heavy retention for nothing in return. And the only reason Philly got a first is because LA gave them a $5M backup and retained $2M on Provorov's contract to Columbus.
Bailey, Wheeler, OEL, and Duchene all got bought out.
It's ugly right now.
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Exactly. A lot easier to say move all of our upcoming UFAs for great returns, than to actually do it right now. The cap has been flat for years and salary inflation has not. Very few competing teams have the ability to take on even $3-4 million in cap. Teams are also gripping their draft picks pretty tightly.
Trading Hanifin, Backlund, and Lindholm for a song clearly isn't the right move. The rebuild crowed would be equally pissed if the Flames walked away with a handful of 2nds and reclamation projects for those players.