Scorched earth rebuilds are more reliable when it is in a market that can also attract quality free agents to lead the recently draft young core because player development also relies on kids having good veterans to help them improve their skills and show them how to be good professionals. Those teams can trade all their veterans for picks, but then easily replace them.
If the Flames traded away all of their good veterans and just relied on prosepcts, it would be hard to dig out of that. I don't think any players like Andersson, Weegar, Kadri, Backlund, etc... would be lining up to join a team like that. You would end up like Buffalo or Edmonton before they lucked out and won the McDavid lottery.
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"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
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