Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
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The only thing that has potentially changed the plan is Wolf. I think they expected to have a top 10 and probably even top 5 pick with the roster the Flames had going into the season.
But the problem is Wolf almost single handedly can prevent that, so you do have to rethink your plan on how to build a roster a bit because you can't count on top 5 picks even with the second lowest salary hit in the league as long as he's playing like this.
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Just to nitpick on this a bit. I would assume that Conroy and the management team had an idea that Wolf had the potential to do exactly this. As everyone keeps saying, he does this at every level he has played at.
With that in mind as the GM, you likely build out your plan for the season with multiple contingencies for how your goaltending goes:
- If Wolf steps into his rookie season like most rookie goalies and Vladar doesn't rise up to #1 status while taking all the hardest starts, which results in the team tanking the season then sell players like Mantha, Kuzmenko, Vladar, Barrie, etc at the trade deadline and mail it in until draft day.
- If Wolf steps into his rookie season and he and Vladar play well enough to put the team on the playoff bubble then look for hockey trades to retool on the fly. Look for young players that can join the roster now but otherwise keep the focus on the answer being in the room.
- If Wolf and Vladar go superstar tandem and locks home ice advantage in the playoffs then go into 'buy mode'.
- Etc.
"The Plan" likely covered all of the things we speculated on with the other players too:
- Mantha signing a 1 year deal to showcase himself for a trade deadline deal for futures or we keep him as a self rental if things go well. (What actually happened writes off the whole decision tree.)
- Kuzmenko could put up some points with lots of offensive starts and PP time and becomes another great trade asset at the deadline, or another great self rental. (Instead his wheels fall off and we have to package him up to ship him out because he tanked his own value.)
- Barrie signs a deal to try to earn himself a trade and if it doesn't pan out he goes onto waivers. (Ends up in the waivers path)
- Etc.
I would expect that all of this gets war-roomed out at the start of the season and then tuned and updated as the season progresses, as players struggle or shine, and as opportunities come up from other GMs.
To think that is not happening is very odd.