Two years ago today the Flames had a very different look to them.
Jay Feaster was the general manager.
The Flames had Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie, up front they had Mikael Backlund, they had a tiny prospect named Johnny Gaudreau that only the hardest core fans had heard of.
They were three months from dealing Jarome Iginla and Jay Bouwmeester for 1st round picks and had just said good bye to Miikka Kiprusoff. Those same hard core fans were doing the “Wiser” clap as the Flames were ushering in a rebuild after kidding themselves for a half decade.
The organization was 3 months away from hiring Brian Burke, six months away from firing Jay Feaster, and 10 months away from hiring Brad Treliving.
As per the usual the team was starved for top prospects and still hadn’t found that elusive number one center since Joe Nieuwendyk demanded a trade in 1995.
Staggering to think what can happen in two years.
Since the morning of draft day 2013 the Flames have …
– drafted Sean Monahan
– drafted Sam Bennett
– extended TJ Brodie
– watched rookie of the year candidate Johnny Gaudreau light it up
– watched St. Louis cast off Kris Russell become a key cog on the blueline
– made the playoffs
– beat the Canucks
and today traded three picks numbered 15, 45 and 52 for one of the best young defensemen in the game, Dougie Hamilton of the cash strapped Boston Bruins.
That’s quite a statement transaction to shape a team Mr. Treliving.
The Flames now boast a young core of under 25 year olds that include Monahan, Bennett, Gaudreau, Brodie and Hamilton. That’s 5 young key pieces and doesn’t include the captain, Mark Giordano that doesn’t look at all ready to slow down.
In Hamilton, Treliving makes good on two promises in one swing of the bat; he finds an impact defenseman to bolster his blueline, and a huge possession driving force to help the Flames spend a little more time with the puck and less time watching it.
In two years the Flames have gone from ground zero to an emerging team with scary young pieces and both an intriguing present and bright future.
And all in the nick of time with Connor McDavid being airlifted into Edmonton to really get things going in the suddenly reinvigorated Battle of Alberta.
We may never know what the plan was for Treliving and his brass in acquiring futures for Curtis Glencross with his team still in a playoff push, and Sven Baertschi in a controversial move with their rival Canucks. It could have simply been two more moves to add pieces to the rebuilding club. Or it could have been a more shrewd move to acquire the picks needed to best the offer sheet compensation needed to sign Hamilton as an RFA.
Either way hats off to the new Calgary GM despite the fact the Flames won’t be picking tonight in Florida on national TV.
Or will they?
