I have been an advocate of dealing Dennis Wideman and replacing him with Cody Franson for most of the off-season. With Franson lingering into August as an unrestricted free agent, my interest in the Flames swapping him in for Wideman has doubled, given the fact his initial contract demands have likely lessened over time. There's a chance Franson goes relatively cheap to whoever signs him now, which is good news given the fact he was arguable the best UFA defender on the market this year.
I've learned that my Wideman strategy doesn't hold universal appeal. A wade through comments sections or message boards shows a wave of support for the current Flames, as well as lot of skepticism about the value of Wideman.