With the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft coming up in less than a week, it’s clear that the Calgary Flames have several decisions to make before they have to submit their protected players list. By 7 pm MDT, June 17, 2017, the Flames will have committed to who they’re going to protect and who they’re going to expose. We’re here to make it known that one decision the Flames absolutely must make is to protect Troy Brouwer. It would be inexcusable if Brouwer dons a Vegas Golden Knights jersey come October.

Ever since Brad Treliving signed Brouwer in free agency last year, it’s been evident that the organization expects Brouwer to be here beyond the expansion draft. While many pundits are calling for Brouwer to be left exposed by the Flames, there are many reasons why he should be protected.

1. Our Boy Troy Built a House in Calgary

Brouwer has built a name house for himself in Calgary. It says a lot about a player when they purchase a home in their team’s city even before joining the team. It would be unfair to force him to move after just one year in the great city of Calgary. Protecting him in the expansion draft may not just be the smart thing to do, but it’s also the right thing to do.

2. Our Boy Troy Inspires Young Players like Tkachuk

We’ve seen Matthew Tkachuk make an incredible amount of between-the-leg passes, and we’re positive we know who he learned that move from.

Brouwer tries Tkachuk's no-look between the legs pass and it goes as well as you would expect: pic.twitter.com/SDRrboHVzd — Mike Pfeil (@mikeFAIL) February 25, 2017

3. Our Boy Troy Adds Many Tangible Factors onto the Roster

We’ve watched Brouwer play 74 regular season games with the Flames, and we’ve gotten a pretty good idea of what he contributes. It is in our conscience that we should look at his actual numbers before we get judgmental. As far as we can tell, the only tangible factors that Brouwer has are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 36. All of these numbers are factors of Brouwer’s #36, and that’s pretty much the entirety of what he brings to this team.

4. Our Boy Troy Has Much Needed Experience on the Brouwerplay

A staple of the Flames’ 1st powerplay unit for most of the season, Brouwer was extremely effective in showing Glen Gulutzan how the Flames can play 4v4. With Brouwer virtually invisible on the powerplay, Gaudreau, Monahan, Versteeg, and Brodie all got a good sense of sustaining offensive pressure at 4v4, and the Flames gain a valuable 4-man unit for next season.

5. Our Boy Troy Is A Proven Playoff Performer

Editor’s note: Please fix your typos before posting. This should say “Brouwer Is A Proven Off-Performer”

One of the most important ways Brouwer has helped this team is when he’s sat out for extended periods of time. The collective improvement that the Flames see when Brouwer is on the bench is a marvel. Without a doubt, the Flames need to keep him on the bench, and they can’t do that if he’s is in Vegas.

So, there it is. We believe this is the most convincing argument as to why the Flames have to protect Brouwer. It’d be inane to let Vegas take him for nothing in return. #ProtectOurBoyTroy. Get it trending.