Quote:
Originally Posted by ComixZone
We have a silly over-filled group of forwards.
There's some risk in this decision, but I'm not really sure how much. Pelletier was a later 1st round pick with no real standout skill, and as an undersized player...I certainly haven't seen anything that makes him stand out.
That aside, it's still silly that we have the group of forwards we do and we're picking some of those players over the youth and (limited?) upside of Pelletier.
Kevin Rooney is a non-factor in the long-term outlook of this team. Even if you go back to free agency, Mantha and Lomberg were signed to what end? Should have been another spot for a young player.
This move strikes me as the Flames overvaluing this idea of being 'competitive' every night at the expense of growing a team from the ground up. Losing a couple more games a year isn't going to nuke the 'culture', but winning a few more games will nuke the potential that the end state of this roster actually carries.
Pelletier? Likely an inconsequential player...but no more inconsequential than some of the other riff raff this bloated roster is carrying, so it's a bummer to see them side with a Rooney rather than a Pelletier.
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They are not the same player though. Rooney is slotted in as a 4th line center and Pelletier isn’t. He’s a first round pick and with that comes different expectations. He didn’t live up to them. It’s not the first time it has happened. The Flames have a number of young forwards coming in the next few years. It’s not the end of the world.