Calgary traded Baertschi because of truculence issues...he wasn't truculent enough for Burke and Hartley. That's it really. This is a deal I didn't have an issue with because quite frankly it was actually a case of not giving a talented guy a chance or that there were truly some other underlying reasons. And honestly, while I'm not a huge fan of Baertschi, if he was healthy I don't mind him in the top 6. I just don't want more than one of that type of player...
Not sure how people are happy with a sub 0.500 pt% team that when healthy only really proved to be a 0.500 pt%. I use % because it's a fake 0.500 with the OTL. An 82 point pace team is normally nowhere near the playoffs. I fail to see the improvement from nowhere near the playoffs to (in any other year) nowhere near the playoffs. Now, it happens the west has a ton of bad teams this year so they are near the playoffs but I don't really see that as an improvement. You had 6 teams last year that were +/-6 points from 82 (the highest point total of those missed the playoffs by double digit points). You had 6 more below that threshold but only 2 below 70 points. They are on pace for 80 points right now (and that's falling over the last month). They finished with 73 last year. On any given year that's the type of swing I think I would expect for a team that stays at a similar quality from the year before. Markstrom doesn't light it up since December 1 and they are likely on a pace below the 73 (he's been that important).
I just don't see the improvement. Oh I know the argument is going to be "but there wasn't supposed to be! Enjoy the young players!". My response is still the same as it's been for months:
- You have the likely Rookie of the year winner setting organization records as your best center and player
- another young 30+ goal scorer (not playing his best but still on that pace)
- another young center really coming into to his own as a two way force
- a starter that is playing like a true starter for 3 months
- two younger D-men that have really stepped up
That is supposedly what was going to allow the team to take off. Great performances from 4-5 young players. They have it and the result is very little impact. Why? Because the part that the GM is truly responsible for (roster building) is just brutal.
I guarantee that if you told Benning and Aquilini at the beginning of the year that you had a crystal ball and that those were the performances we were going to see from Pettersson, Horvat, Boeser, Markstrom, Stecher and Hutton they'd confidently say they would be playoff bound and not through a wildcard birth. That's how wildly off the mark his roster building over the last 4 offseasons has been.
So they need to tank these last 22 games because the owner needs to wake up. Put a QUALIFIED president in place, step away and let the president run the show. Give him financial goals to hit to protect and grow your investment but step away from decision making.