I hear ya...
Agree on all points. Can't believe Calgary can't accept their fate.
I would deal for Jay-Bo and Iginla...although we can't afford them next year...we may be able to keep 1 depending on what heads back to Calgary.
In Lieu of recent injuries, some personel issues (Pandalfo is obviously not a fit here or anywhere at this stage) we are all frustrated but having been watching/following this game for the better parts of 4 decades (which is 4 less than DKH
) I have a touch more grey on my head, and a touch more wisdom from experience of a better understanding of how things work.
There was a time when I too thought all it took was a simple call and a deal is done. Now, with a cap, the complexities of making a trade, the ability to understand and formulate a vast understanding of how a deal, any deal, can have implications on a teams future, is far too difficult for me to understand, but it allows me to see this and other years too for what it is.
While I am always more conservative like Chia appears to be, I trust this GM will do whatever he can to improve this hockey club while not having to subtract pieces that he believes will keep this team in the conversation as a Cup contender for years to come.
I looked at that game last night, I saw Seguin/Hamilton/Marchand/Spooner to name a few, young kids, not close to their prime, struggling to find their offensive game?? Yep, but man what a nice looking core of young players, top that off with Looch/Bergy and yes, even you DK, sprinkle in a possibility of kids like Jared Knight and Koko puffs, you can see what Chia is trying to do, and I can understand why he wouldn`t want to ship player A,B or C off for one shot rental as some here (not saying you dream about).
I understand the sometimes need to aquire a pure rental (Kaberle although I didn`t love the trade at the time), but having watched decades of teams aquiring the prized player only to have, the overwhelming majority of the times, an exit in the playoffs not having raised the Cup, I like to err on the side of caution.
I`ve seen far greater numbers of teams win the Cup, this team included, when their GM goes out and acquires an important piece, without having to dismantle a roster ala Pevs and Kelly.
Messier said years ago with the Rags Cup win, it was the aquisition of guys like Matteau/Noonan that were the keys