I just think the prairie cities in the NHL have a different feel then other Canadian markets. Toronto and Montreal ARE big cities, feel like big cities, are close enough to a lot of different places and are close enough to major US markets that it's a different lifestyle for players, their families and more.
Perhaps the play isn't to avoid drafting US players from the east coast or something but more of a blueprint on how to deal with them when approaching UFA status. Don't want to sign on July 1st of a contract year? Ok, we are probably going to trade you.
Hoping, praying, catering and throwing more term and money than is reasonable to some players for the sake of staying in Calgary is not a winning strategy. American's think of Canada as a foreign country and it is, but Canadian's are a LOT more comfortable with virtually everything American than the reverse.
I personally think the NHL has a Canadian competition problem as the disparity is growing larger and the scenarios are changing for teams. Elliot Friedman kinda alluded to it on HNIC recently.
Back to the trade. Conroy did as well as he could but it sucks the value we are getting back for players like Chucky, Hanifin, Johnny. Hopefully we can hit on some picks but those guys had the potential to be serious hauls.
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