[traptor]

I'm torn on Marner, I see both sides of the argument.

That said, the Flames’ most glaring hole right now is elite talent up front, especially at center (assuming Parekh and Wolf pan out as expected).

There are really only three ways to acquire a true number one center (any player really):

Drafting
Trading / Offer Sheet
Signing in Free Agency (UFA)

Drafting a top-line center feels like a long shot. The Flames have no intention of bottoming out, so unless we luck into a star with a later pick, which we’re probably looking at a 3+ year development timeline.

Trading for one is risky. The kind of young centers that might be available often come with red flags, whether it’s size concerns, injury history, or off-ice attitude issues. Think Elias Pettersson (EP40) or Marco Rossi types.

Signing a elite UFA center isn’t a great bet either. Elite centers rarely hit the open market, and if they do, they’re older, expensive, and we’re probably not at the top of their destination list.

So if we’re not truly rebuilding and we desperately need elite offensive talent, I can understand the argument for going after Marner. Even if he’s not a center, he’d bring the high-end skill this team lacks, at least enough to make us competitive and push for the playoffs.

It wouldn’t stop us from continuing to pursue a top center through the other methods either. Acquisition cost is just cap.

In a perfect world, we’d land a top-3 pick and draft a ready-made elite center, but that’s just not what the team is planning to do.


I will be perfectly happy if they stand pat for UFA's though. Please for the love of god, don't go after one of those after guys like Bennet, Ehlers or Boeser though