Quoting: SatanRaper2000
Thing is that your trading organizational assets for rentals on a team that's first in the conference. Disrupting team chemisty at the least. You think Rittich has been progressing so well just due to natural talent or environment to which smith is a part. These are intangibles that we can not judge. If it aint broke don't fix it.... And as far as the trades themselves. I see no marketable improvement. Due to no need. Rittich is fine. Staal would steal ice time for others. Can have a team full of guys playing 20 minutes a game its just math. And trading the only current member of the flames to have one a cup right before playoffs is clever as well
Those organizational assets are extraordinarily expendable, Czarnik gets sat for guys that come up from the AHL, Lazar won't see the NHL again in Calgary and needs to be a trade chip, his waiver eligibility is shot so if he is in Calgary then he has to stick, which he won't, Nielsen doesn't crack our D core at any point in his career.
I love Smith as more than the average person but there is no chance he gets another contract, bring in a guy who you can begin talking contracts with and who potentially can back up Rittich for the next 2 - 3 years while Gilles or Parsons establishes themselves?
Jankowski needs less ice time, he can be a PK guy and a bottom line winger and hopefully be better next year, his game has so many holes but they're overshadowed by his numbers on the PK that people love. The improvement is very clear at the center position, pushing Jankowski to the wing solidifies the spot that has been filled by Quine, Mangiapane and Dube who have done nothing of significance.
Frolik has literally only produced on the 3M line, there are a hundred different options that make that line and our team better along with freeing up that cap space in the off season to get our RFA's signed and still improve our group.
None of our assets that have value get moved in these moves, you bring in guys that create depth and allow Peters to roll lines, Backlund's line stays an elite shut down line, Neal gets away from playing with Jankowski where pucks go to die.