Quote:
Originally Posted by cannon7
How many Cups have the Lightning won after signing Hedman, Stamkos and Point to their current deals? Are the Lightning trending upward or downward in your opinion?
See the thing a lot of fans seem to miss is that clinging to talent passed its good by date is actually a losing proposition. First you're paying a premium for past performance, not future performance. Second, you're locking up cap space for an extended period of time into a declining asset. Third, you're also locking up a roster spot (especially if you go the NTC/NMC route) preventing younger talent from displacing them.
What is the end result? You have a fat and happy roster that isn't going to win a Cup, but might make a playoff appearance before bowing out and hitting the links.
Now if you're a desirable UFA destination then you can likely get away with padding your roster with mercenaries. But the Calgary Flames are not that. In fact, Calgary is on many no-trade lists. So leaning into this as a small market team like the Flames is idiotic.
That being said, with every rule there is an exception. In my mind, if you have a generational talent, a true generational talent, then sure, you try to lock them up long term when they are 26/27. But these are rare. The last (arguably) generational talents the Flames had were Iginla and Kiprusoff, and the Flames kept them the right amount of time. While Hanifin is a solid defenceman, a generational talent he is not, and as such the rule should apply.
As for being forever a rebuilding team: ys, absolutely. The Flames should not be trying to be the Rangers, they should be trying to be the Tampa Bay Rays of the NHL. Draft well, ensure a stockpile of futures every year, have as many swings at the plate as you can get and establish a pipeline of talent that replenishes your NHL roster over time. Are you going to be a perennial to team in the league with this strategy? No. But the Flames weren't that anyway. The goal is instead to compete for a playoff spot 2-3 times every 5-6 seasons. If the Flames draft well, you might put together a run of repeated playoff appearances. IF they don't draft well, then they bottom out and improve their draft positions. But the overall goal is sustainability.
See the old method of rebuilding a team and entering a competitive window is simply not sustainable for a small market team. Presuming you're even the first choice for available talent (you're not), you'll still end up overpaying or outbid by larger markets. So put your chips where you have some hope of being competitive: scouting and drafting new talent.
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I agree with most of what you are saying, but don't see Hanifin in that logic.
He's young enough to be super effective for the entirety of his next contract.
And with the team being an undesirable UFA destination that makes signing him more logical, as he'll be harder to replace.
100% agreement when it comes to say Lindholm's extension though.