Thoughts on Rasmus Andersson's season and his future here

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by jayswin

What? That's not how successful rebuilds work haha. We need to hit on multiple high end picks going forward. Rebuilding is not a one season dip and then start plugging holes and improving.

It depends on who you get. The Avs alternated between having high picks and middle to later ones. It just so happened that they got Landeskog, Mackinnon and Makar in the years they really decided to suck. And picked up Rantanen at 10OA.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

It depends on who you get. The Avs alternated between having high picks and middle to later ones. It just so happened that they got Landeskog, Mackinnon and Makar in the years they really decided to suck. And picked up Rantanen at 10OA.

So, they hit on multiple high picks.

I'm not sure it is particularly relevant when their best players were obtained with high picks.

Although it is indeed strange the volatility they went through during those years.

[Zary's-Mustache]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Your link proves that a main reason why he was traded was because he asked for it. Even when players rescind those requests, doesn't mean teams stop trying to trade the player. It helps give the team more leverage to make a good deal if there's more potential options.

Of course I think you have to consider the Devon Toews trade a bit too. I believe those circumstances were more contract related, but the Islanders traded a 26 year old D for futures, and it looks like a bad deal to me now. So if the base behavior is trade 26 to 28 year old D for assets rather than sign, you'll get good and bad.

I'm sure Conroy will find out who wants to be in Calgary, how much a decide to keep or move players based on the feedback. The fact that 5 pretty decent players all wanted out, or stay for a severe overpay is still fresh in his mind.

Yeah that's exactly what I said. He asked to be traded . It worked out for the Islanders no matter the reasoning behind the trade.

I agree with everything you said but some posters are making it seem like it's a ridiculous take. I don't want him traded for nothing obviously but if the Flames can get a great return then I'm all for it. If at 30 he wants to sign a team friendly deal that isn't an overpayment or 8 years then I'm fine with that too.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

So, they hit on multiple high picks.

I'm not sure it is particularly relevant when their best players were obtained with high picks.

Although it is indeed strange the volatility they went through during those years.

My point is they went from 2OA, to 41OA, to 1OA, to 23OA, to 10OA, to 4 OA (at which time they finally had a team). It doesn't always have to be sustained craptitude.

TB kind of the same: Went 1,2 in consecutive years, but then went a long time before any picks actually panned out, and they weren't high ones (their high ones were bad picks). They kind of did two rebuilds - one to get STamkos and Hedman, and then hitting on later picks to get their key guys Point, Vasilevksy and Kucherov.

I think Carolina has as good a shot as anyone this year, and they picked once up high (and got Svechnikov).

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Look at San Jose. They are complete garbage but they've got literally 2 guys in their entire system worth a damn right now. They will end up with a top 3 pick, but that will be 3 guys (maybe 4 if the Pittsburgh pick conveys this year - top 10 protected) in the entire organization that are anything more than borderline prospects or long term NHL guys. Its a long path back to respectability for them.

They are ranked as having one of the best prospect pools in the NHL.

You need to look closer as Hockey News has 4 of their prospects ranked in the top 43.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

5) Does Kylington, in fact, wish to keep playing professional hockey at all?

As far as I know, the answer to that is ‘yes’, but the fact that the question is being asked publicly in the media gives me pause.

Yeah, which adds to my point, being that we have no idea at all what the D core will look like in 2 years. So discussing an Andersson extension or trade is pointless IMO.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I will preface this by saying that I DO NOT believe in 'burn it to the ground', or 'scorched earth' rebuilds. I think they usually end up in disaster for years and years and make it difficult to come out of.


I do, however, fully believe that a rebuild was necessary, and have been wanting it for a while now.



I think the defence has been gutted enough. You have to be careful to provide a decent enough environment where everyone can grow. If your defence is too lousy, then it will certainly make it tougher on Wolf to play behind a defence that he can't trust - just like it was for Dubynk in Edmonton until he got out of that organization and won a Vezina. You also need your young D to be sheltered and get brought up the right way. I also think that forwards playing in front of a lousy defensive core also suffer - they end up having to come back too far all the time to help out, the transition suffers and everyone ends up holding their stick a bit too tightly and become afraid of taking any risks just to make sure it doesn't result in the puck going into the back of their own net.


I think in a rebuild, you have to balance it out between extracting as much value for your assets + ensuring you get a decent pick, with providing a good learning environment that will build back up upon itself, rather than continue imploding. I think the defence is there already, especially in case someone gets injured.


Rasmus has 2 more years after this one. His team-friendly deal does carry value which I think would make a return for him even better, but I do think you should probably hold onto him a little longer. I think you reevaluate this next off-season - or at next season's trade deadline at the very earliest.

I agree regarding your points about sheltering D, and bringing them up the right way. That said, I don't see Andersson as a guy like Tanev that you can throw out in all the toughest defensive matchups. In fact, I think that Andersson is better when he's slightly sheltered on the 2nd pairing.

Personally, I'd love the Flames to find/sign/trade for a couple of stay at home D similar to Tanev. Maybe if we could land one of DeMelo, or Pesce as free agents this summer, or target an RFA like Ryan Lindgren in NYR. If they accomplish that it makes Andersson expendable, because I don't see him fitting into the next Flames core.