spockBokk
Registered User
- Sep 8, 2013
- 7,140
- 17,927
Would not shock me at all if Aho becomes a GM one day. Would not shock me at all if Dundon is already planning on it being for the Canes.
The Sakic treatment?
If Aho's career comes close to that of Sakic's, I think he'd be doing much more than OK.
For fantasy/summer doldrum's - I think it would have been devastating for the franchise for them to let Aho walk for futures, even for 4 1sts. Were I GM and had I made the idiotic decision to not match, I would have tried to pull something similar to what TB and PHI did way back in the day, by trading some of the compensation picks back for roster players. So, looking at MTL's roster, I would have asked for Drouin + Suzuki and I would have kept the 1st and 2nd for 2020, then traded back the 3rd + Fleury or similar prospect. Certainly not ideal, but even with Aho, MTL is probably at best competing for a wildcard spot, so that 1st had a chance to be lottery and I get back a warm body who can put up 50pts and a good prospect that's almost NHL ready. Then, I would have to go get a mediocre C to fill the void, like a Turris with retention or sign Brassard...ugh...
So really in the end, no choice but to match...