Quote:
Originally Posted by Saqe
Fantilli is absolutely a #1C or at least projects one. Then you got Jenner, Johnson, Sillinger, Texier and who knows what. Signing a 30 year old UFA to a long term deal makes no sense to me, especially when you just drafted #3 overall. They are expecting to be a bubble team right now, not win it all. And long term that contract would be a back breaker.
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I think you’re selling the Jackets appetite to make the playoffs/compete now a little short.
Look at the moves they made this offseason, most notably, Provorov and Babcock. Lindholm would all but certainly make them better right now. Not 2-3 years down the road when who knows what happens by then.
This is an organization that has missed the playoffs three years in a row now and has 6 playoff appearances in 22 years. Plus there also seems to be some smoke around JK and JD not having much run way left if things don’t change.
I know a lot of people like to think running a team is all about ‘asset management’ because apparently the only way to build a team is to stockpile draft picks and 19 year olds. Fact is teams also have to deal with expectations from ownership, fans, and even players. Gaudreau, Liane, Warenski etc. probably don’t have much tolerance for missing the playoffs for another 2-3 years.
Acquiring Lindholm, I think, would be very appealing to the Blue Jackets. He would be their 1C immediately and likely a top 2C for the next 6-7 years if they extended him. Given how difficult it has been for the BJ’s to attract and keep talent, I bet they leap at the chance to trade for Lindholm and pay the price to do so.