EXODUS: PICKS AND SCOUTS

In an absolutely stunning move this morning, the Calgary Flames amateur scouting staff walked out on the job. The disgruntled staff cited low wages and high work hours, for real little payoff for their work.

That was the cause for the mass exodus in Calgary, and it really should come as no surprise. Later in the afternoon, it was revealed that the Florida Panthers organization had been contacting the Flames staff for months to jump ship and join the Panthers team. Over the past four drafts under the questionable leadership of General Manager Derek Loftus, the Flames have only made 4 selections over that time, and all 4 picks were dealt within the month (Two were actually traded the next day, in a very shady deal). We did the math on that, and that’s just over half a percent (0.6%) of all picks the last four years. That number should continue to dwindle, as the Flames have no picks over the next two years.

On the other side of the coin, over those four years the Panthers have made a staggering 42 draft picks – including winning a Stanley Cup during that time. That on the other hand comes out to almost 7 percent of all picks during that time. “We’re dedicated to building at all levels, and obviously Tod Button and his staff saw that and were sick of putting in a lot of hard work in small arenas for absolutely no payoff,” said new employer Dylan Wilson, “I mean it’s probably the right move as well, Derek has never been a supporter of long term job employment except for his own. Remember guys, Matt Duchene will always be a Flame.”

“We had a great staff in Calgary, and honestly they were getting completely frustrated, “ said former head of Scouting Tod Button, “But they all were about to go their separate ways, before Dylan came and proposed that we all stay together and join his staff. Now we’ll finally be appreciated.”

“I’d come back from Russia, finding some good players we should definitely take a closer look at,” said European scout Bobbie Hagelin, “I’d walk in to his office, he’d wave me away quickly without even looking at me and then send me to somewhere even more remote and desolate than the last place. I’m also pretty sure we were getting paid under minimum wage.”

So when the draft rolls along this June, expect a barren and quiet draft table amongst the crowds……and in the end, it really shouldn’t make a difference.