Quote:
Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent
Wow. Both of these teams realize they're 7-8 points out of a playoff position right? That's teetering near the edge of impossible with the amount of runway left.
And yet they're dragging their feet on Markstrom and Mercer and talking about playoffs still.
Usually only the oilers succumb to this level of delusion publicly.
I think the Flames just got cold feet (could see it) and the package was reasonable. But they can hold out cause I don't think any other team can offer a better young center.
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New Jersey and Calgary are different.
Jersey is trying to avoid a lost season in a window of contention, so they're hanging on to some sketchy hope because their biggest problem is solvable with a trade.
In Calgary I doubt very much that of the 5 guys in the management group, not one has the ability to do the math or look it up on line (playoff chance models). They know they're not making the playoffs. But they put value on culture and not tanking, and respecting the dressing room (setting a high bar for a player that is huge to the team and has term).
It's a lot easier to defend moving expiring contracts to guys skating through a wall for you then a trade like Markstrom.
We can all agree or disagree on that notion, but they seem to believe in it .. at least to some degree. They have moved 4 UFAs and are about to move the 5th. They get it. They just don't lean into said knowledge in the public (media).