Quote:
Originally Posted by sureLoss
Biggest concern is ownership and what they direct Conroy to do.
Force a trade to try and save this season a la Phaneuf and Jokinen?
Re-tool in the summer again and chase big name UFAs a la Brad Richards?
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This.
I've been saying for years "the problem" (as if there's only one) with the Flames is the mandate from ownership of "make the playoffs every year, cuz you never know". What it's lead to is this current disgrace - two or three (depending on how you view Coleman for example) long term overpays on free agents who have had good careers or good/great moments, and nothing much in the pipeline in terms of talent because the team drafts at 15 every year.
Now the team is in a position where there
might be a generational-talent goalie coming, and there's scant reason to think that the team can be re-tooled to be competitive inside the window he's likely to play for the Flames (a five year window?).
There are a pile of worst-case scenarios stacked on one another. Whether it was Treliving's "process" or simply the pressure he was under from ownership, the team is bad, the long term contracts look debilitating, and I don't even think it's clear what the vector for improvement is. Who do you trade, and why? How do you clear this up in a five year plan? Yikes.
I think the good news is they aren't looking like drafting at 15 this year.