If we’d played Biega or Schenn instead of Gudbranson all year we probably make the playoffs last year. We do have one thing Edmonton never had, which is an elite goalie.
I don’t see how anyone can realistically expect a team with no defensive depth to ditch their top 2 defenders and replace them with nobody. They aren’t going to go 2015 Leafs at this point.
Obviously we shouldn’t be in this position but once we’re in this position ...
They will become EDM... It will be 2015 Leafs... If Biega and Schenn played over Gudbranson... Can't ditch a top2 Dman without replacing him... MS, every one of these statements can be categorized as a false premise. It's alarmist rationale. Let's park this and instead examine it through another lens:
For a supposed rebuilding club, one that has had a top10 pick in 5 of the past 6 years, signing an aged veteran to retirement deal is not the standard course. I know you understand this because you have outlined management's ineptitude as a reason to chase Edler now. Not that you would advocate signing Edler had there been a better framework here. However, when acknowledging this you are actually adopting Benning's perspective to judge this deal. You are not in fact adopting the perspective of a rebuilding club. One that walks away from potential anchor contracts.
I find this stuff fascinating because it's amazing to me how fans can adopt the paradigm a GM wants them to adopt, eventually. Regardless of whether those same fans have maligned the moves of the GM that have led to that paradigm.
In this case, I think Melvin has the right of it. Then again, there may have been more leeway had Benning not saddled the team with poor contracts. That way, this retirement deal would have that much less of an impact... Such is life.