Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashasx
I guess I'm in the minority but I think you could get a lot of good pieces by trading Lindholm and Hanifin for futures.
I also don't agree with the thought process that "this team can't rebuild because it has no prospects". Well, that's exactly why I would rebuild, otherwise you find yourself in a worse position than the Flames in 2013 when they sold Iginla and Bouwmeester far later than they should have. The only real difference makers/prospects that came out of the organization during that era were Gaudreau and Backlund - not nearly enough to bring this team over the top after we added Monahan/Tkachuk/the rest of the core.
This is definitely a team that has structured its contracts for the short-term. But again, you can't let the mistakes of the past dictate further miscues for the future. It sucks that Huberdeau and Kadri are on the books for 8/6 more seasons, but those costs are sunk.
If the Flames truly believe they are a contender, by all means make these next moves like they believe it. But I don't even think the Flames organization believes that. They think if they get into the playoffs, there is a chance for another 2004 run. That's how this organization has been run for 20 years.
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I actually think you are correct on Lindholm and Hanifin, although I think if you want to maximise futures return, my guess would mean that deal is best struck closer to deadline time, so need to be patient to ride it out, and need to have the guts to pull the trigger if the team is in striking distance.
While I'm not saying the just get in strategy is perfect, I think the last part of your comment highlights something that I think is flawed logic in 2023 when it comes to the "just get in" detractors. I think most would share your view, on just squeaking in, equals hoping for the equivalent of a 2004 miracle run. That's simply not the case in 2023 anymore. That has slowly become "not the case" year over year since the cap was introduced. In 2004, the Flames (who were 6th in the West) were likely more comparable to the last place team in the league, then they were the top 5 teams in the league (3 of which they beat in the playoffs). There was very distinct Have and Have Nots in pre cap NHL, the top tier was usually way above the next 80% of the league. Thus, requires a miracle run.
In today's NHL, I'd argue, that the teams that just squeak in, or even the teams that just missed (like Calgary), are actually much closer in level to Vegas, and Tampa than they are Columbus and Anaheim. Point being, many teams not just Calgary, subscribe to this theory for multiple reasons, but they aren't just rolling the dice and pinning things on a prayer. While I think the arguments that doing a rebuild, are still very valid as opinions on how to make the best possible team, the try to build a playoff team every year doesn't mean what it did 20 years ago. The top 20 teams in the NHL each year, actually have a realistic chance of winning, it's not pinning hopes on beating unsurmountable odds ala 2004.