Flames absolutely have to build the spine of their team if there is any hope of competing in the future. Wolf - Parekh - ? They absolutely need a #1 C.
How do you get one?
- Draft your own. The higher you draft, the more likely it is you draft one. The lower you draft, the less likely. Not impossible, just much less likely.
- Sign one through UFA. Even with an overpay, you aren't going to get them here, at least not until this team looks like a winner and when the new building opens. Even then, they are not often available as UFAs.
- Trade for one. However, they almost always come with warts. Question marks about their actual ceiling, injury concerns, character issues, etc. Organizations don't like to trade #1Cs unless they have to for one reason or another.
No center taken in the mid-to-late first round has "1st Line Center" potential, at least not without some large warts. This doesn't mean that they don't exceed expectations, but that's what you have to bank on - the center prospect exceeding expectations. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.
So given that the Flames don't want to pick high, then the next best avenue is through trade. The list of #1Cs being traded is incredibly short. They are NEVER traded without some sort of wart - injury history/concerns, age, perceived character issues, etc. So, while I also share most people's concerns about Pettersson, it would be downright foolish for the Flames not to inquire (again, unless the plan is to pick high). Maybe Pettersson is broken. That's an expensive long-term commitment there. Maybe he just needs a change of scenery, and given Calgary's current culture and stability in leadership, this would prove an ideal environment for him to bounce-back with. I have no idea, but at some point, the Flames HAVE to find that #1 center to add to the spine of their team. This is the absolute most difficult position to fill on a team. You don't let one go unless you have to let one go for one reason or another, so the Flames just have to do their due-diligence as best as possible with each one that (rarely) come to market. There may not be another for a few years, and there is no guarantee that when that happens, that player will be willing to come to Calgary, or perhaps has even more warts.
I would be both very excited and very worried if the Flames entered into talks with Vancouver right now. I doubt it will happen - I assume he has a NTC with the Flames and would probably want to get far away from Vancouver, and I am sure Vancouver wouldn't love sending him to the Flames, but the Flames could clear up a lot of cap room for them. Damn interesting anyway (and yes, damn scary too).