Quote:
Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent
Offensively the Flames will be hurt by it, and hopefully someone like Parekh can step in and fill that gap somewhat.
But defensively? Not sure that removing the -38 d-man will leave you worse off.
He was an outlier in that regard on a team full of hard working guys. At times was aggressively bad against tough match ups. No shame in it because he wasn't being deployed how he'd be best suited on a deeper team, but after the mass exodus last year there weren't other options.
Flames have some shutdown type young players in the system in Brz and Crushnikov. I wonder if they try them (or look for a stopgap through trade/FA signing).
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Tough ask putting rookies up against the McDavid and Makinnon lines of the NHL. Playing shut down D against the elite forwards in the NHL is probably the hardest skill to develop.
I’m still absolutely in support of trading him, but even with Ras’ -38, he is the most well equipped on this team, outside of maybe Weegar, to eat the hardest minutes, so unless they sign a very experienced shutdown defender, they will take a step back on the defensive side.