Confirmed with Link: Chris Higgins PTO with Flames

[Lunatik]

Meh, no risk. Probably not getting a contract. I used to like the guy back in Montreal and was glad when the Flames got him. But when he wouldn't resign with them, I stopped liking the guy and was kind of happy he ended up in a team that I can't stand in the Canucks.

If I remember right, didn't he not want to sign with Calgary because he wanted to play in a US market?

He turned the Flames down to sign with the Panthers

 

[Snazu]

He turned the Flames down to sign with the Panthers

But didn't he specifically not want to play for a Canadian market though? I could be way off, but I thought I remember him saying something about that.

 

[Lunatik]

But didn't he specifically not want to play for a Canadian market though? I could be way off, but I thought I remember him saying something about that.

That was the media speculation, I'm not sure how true it was though. He sure never had an issue re-signing in Vancouver less a year later and now signing a PTO here. The Panthers offered him a bigger contract than I think we could afford or were willing to pay at the time, I think that has more to do with it than his desire to play in the US. The media spews crap like that all the time and rarely does it have any merit.

Even if that was the case he was a UFA for the first time and is an American born player who had spent almost his entire career in Canada, what would be so bad about wanting to play in the US? How is it any different than Brouwer wanting to play close to home and in the city where he plans to retire? In fact when a Canadian player says they want to play in Canada they usually get praised for it.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

I don't think he gets more than a few games in Calgary, but I'd like to see him be a leader on the farm.

 

[HiggsBroson]

Good guy with a great attitude, glad someone is giving him a chance. His brother was a valued member of HFCanucks, so welcome HiggsBroson when he gets here.

Cheers.

Hahah I wouldn't go that far.

The flames were one of the first teams to contact his agent when he was bought out and he was interested in them from the beginning as well.
Last season was a rough one no doubt but he's motivated and feels that he has something to prove. Been working out and skating all summer.
Gulutzan laid it out to him and he knows what he has to do to make the team. They would want him to focus of being a depth player and work hard on the PK, as it's always been one of his strongest qualities on the ice.
Some Van fans are bitter, but let's be honest here. He's always been a strong 2nd liner but as he got older he developed as a 3rd line depth locker room leader. After the cup loss and the teams identity(minus the leadership of the Sedins) shifted I feel he was forced to fill the secondary scoring holes left behind from trades and free agent departures. It just didn't suit him well and fans who don't recognize the game beyond stats were quick to jump on him. He wasn't a big fan of Desjardins and said lately that he had lost the team at times. He always said that Gulutzan was one of the people in Van management that had a real grip of the game. But life goes on and here he is now looking forward to continuing his career in Calgary.
Hopefully look forward to being on here this season.

 

[Lunatik]

Hahah I wouldn't go that far.

The flames were one of the first teams to contact his agent when he was bought out and he was interested in them from the beginning as well.
Last season was a rough one no doubt but he's motivated and feels that he has something to prove. Been working out and skating all summer.
Gulutzan laid it out to him and he knows what he has to do to make the team. They would want him to focus of being a depth player and work hard on the PK, as it's always been one of his strongest qualities on the ice.
Some Van fans are bitter, but let's be honest here. He's always been a strong 2nd liner but as he got older he developed as a 3rd line depth locker room leader. After the cup loss and the teams identity(minus the leadership of the Sedins) shifted I feel he was forced to fill the secondary scoring holes left behind from trades and free agent departures. It just didn't suit him well and fans who don't recognize the game beyond stats were quick to jump on him. He wasn't a big fan of Desjardins and said lately that he he had lost the team at times. He always said that Gulutzan was one of the people in Van management that had a real grip of the game. But life goes on and here he is now looking forward to continuing his career in Calgary.
Hopefully look forward to being on here this season.

Welcome aboard. Thanks for the insight. I loved Chris when he was here last time, was always one of the hardest workers , unfortunately he was injured just as it looked like he was turning it around. I'd love for him to earn a contract and make the club. Adding him and Brouwer to our PK would be a major boon for us

 

[Boomstick]

Hahah I wouldn't go that far.

The flames were one of the first teams to contact his agent when he was bought out and he was interested in them from the beginning as well.
Last season was a rough one no doubt but he's motivated and feels that he has something to prove. Been working out and skating all summer.
Gulutzan laid it out to him and he knows what he has to do to make the team. They would want him to focus of being a depth player and work hard on the PK, as it's always been one of his strongest qualities on the ice.
Some Van fans are bitter, but let's be honest here. He's always been a strong 2nd liner but as he got older he developed as a 3rd line depth locker room leader. After the cup loss and the teams identity(minus the leadership of the Sedins) shifted I feel he was forced to fill the secondary scoring holes left behind from trades and free agent departures. It just didn't suit him well and fans who don't recognize the game beyond stats were quick to jump on him. He wasn't a big fan of Desjardins and said lately that he had lost the team at times. He always said that Gulutzan was one of the people in Van management that had a real grip of the game. But life goes on and here he is now looking forward to continuing his career in Calgary.
Hopefully look forward to being on here this season.

Nice to have an inside source. Glad you're here to share some insight.

 

[QcFlames12]

Could be a valueable addition to our forth line along side Stajan. Two solid veterans who play a strong defensive game. If had near league minimum I have no real complaints.

 

[Fig]

Welcome HiggsBroson!

 

[Flames Fanatic]

Rather have him on the 4th line than Bollig.

 

[Lunatik]

Rather have him on the 4th line than Bollig.

Different roles. Bollig won't play everyday and when he does get in the lineup it will be for physical play and toughness.

 

[Skobel24]

Rather have him on the 4th line than Bollig.

I really wish we could have seen Nystrom and Higgins together longer.

 

[Skobel24]

Hahah I wouldn't go that far.

The flames were one of the first teams to contact his agent when he was bought out and he was interested in them from the beginning as well.
Last season was a rough one no doubt but he's motivated and feels that he has something to prove. Been working out and skating all summer.
Gulutzan laid it out to him and he knows what he has to do to make the team. They would want him to focus of being a depth player and work hard on the PK, as it's always been one of his strongest qualities on the ice.
Some Van fans are bitter, but let's be honest here. He's always been a strong 2nd liner but as he got older he developed as a 3rd line depth locker room leader. After the cup loss and the teams identity(minus the leadership of the Sedins) shifted I feel he was forced to fill the secondary scoring holes left behind from trades and free agent departures. It just didn't suit him well and fans who don't recognize the game beyond stats were quick to jump on him. He wasn't a big fan of Desjardins and said lately that he had lost the team at times. He always said that Gulutzan was one of the people in Van management that had a real grip of the game. But life goes on and here he is now looking forward to continuing his career in Calgary.
Hopefully look forward to being on here this season.

Between your username and Arrested Development reference in your avatar, I like you.

 

[Anglesmith]

Hahah I wouldn't go that far.

The flames were one of the first teams to contact his agent when he was bought out and he was interested in them from the beginning as well.
Last season was a rough one no doubt but he's motivated and feels that he has something to prove. Been working out and skating all summer.
Gulutzan laid it out to him and he knows what he has to do to make the team. They would want him to focus of being a depth player and work hard on the PK, as it's always been one of his strongest qualities on the ice.
Some Van fans are bitter, but let's be honest here. He's always been a strong 2nd liner but as he got older he developed as a 3rd line depth locker room leader. After the cup loss and the teams identity(minus the leadership of the Sedins) shifted I feel he was forced to fill the secondary scoring holes left behind from trades and free agent departures. It just didn't suit him well and fans who don't recognize the game beyond stats were quick to jump on him. He wasn't a big fan of Desjardins and said lately that he had lost the team at times. He always said that Gulutzan was one of the people in Van management that had a real grip of the game. But life goes on and here he is now looking forward to continuing his career in Calgary.
Hopefully look forward to being on here this season.

This is encouraging about Higgins, but also very encouraging about Gulutzan.

 

[1989]

If Higgins is officially signed on as a Flame, I feel that HiggsBroson should get automatic first dibs on the forum avatar, should he want it. Makes sense, no?

 

[Flames Fanatic]

If Higgins is officially signed on as a Flame, I feel that HiggsBroson should get automatic first dibs on the forum avatar, should he want it. Makes sense, no?

I'm sure he can come up with lots of "wanted for" themes for his brother lol.

 

[Skobel24]

If Higgins is officially signed on as a Flame, I feel that HiggsBroson should get automatic first dibs on the forum avatar, should he want it. Makes sense, no?

While I did claim the first addition to the roster, I'd allow him to take Higgins.

 

[Flames Fanatic]

Different roles. Bollig won't play everyday and when he does get in the lineup it will be for physical play and toughness.

Sure, which I get. But I'd rather have a veteran PK'er than Bollig in 80% of the games anyways.

I don't dislike Bollig nearly as much as most people, and I'm not opposed to keeping him beyond this year, just for much closer to 900K than the 1.8 he's getting now.

 

[Lunatik]

Sure, which I get. But I'd rather have a veteran PK'er than Bollig in 80% of the games anyways.

I don't dislike Bollig nearly as much as most people, and I'm not opposed to keeping him beyond this year, just for much closer to 900K than the 1.8 he's getting now.

his cap hit is only 1.25 though

 

[Flames Fanatic]

his cap hit is only 1.25 though

Huh. I have no idea why I had 1.8 in my head.

 

[Lunatik]

Huh. I have no idea why I had 1.8 in my head.

I have no idea

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Rather have him on the 4th line than Bollig.

I would rather have a goat on rollerblades than Bollig.

Seriously? What does anyone see in him? He's too slow. He gets the puck everyone catches him and he has to dump it in. Or he just chips it into the offensive zone like every time. He's just too slow. He makes us a worse team.

We gotta stop trying to be as tough as Anaheim or Los Angeles. We just aren't. We do have some grit in Ferland, Shink, Brouwer, Bennett, Engelland, Gio. Even Dougie who's labeled soft, pretty sure he was second in hits last year and he destroyed a few people.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

To be completely honest, I would have rather of brought in Nystrom than Higgins mostly for sentimental reasons. Nystrom was one of my favourite players while he was here and I was very sad when he left.

Higgins probably knows this is his last chance at the NHL, I'll be interested to see what kind of camp he has.

 

[Skobel24]

I would rather have a goat on rollerblades than Bollig.

Seriously? What does anyone see in him? He's too slow. He gets the puck everyone catches him and he has to dump it in. Or he just chips it into the offensive zone like every time. He's just too slow. He makes us a worse team.

We gotta stop trying to be as tough as Anaheim or Los Angeles. We just aren't. We do have some grit in Ferland, Shink, Brouwer, Bennett, Engelland, Gio. Even Dougie who's labeled soft, pretty sure he was second in hits last year and he destroyed a few people.

Agreed. Nothing wrong with trying to be tough, but Calgary can't sacrifice skill just to add size (specifically if someone brings ONLY size/toughness).

To be completely honest, I would have rather of brought in Nystrom than Higgins mostly for sentimental reasons. Nystrom was one of my favourite players while he was here and I was very sad when he left.

Higgins probably knows this is his last chance at the NHL, I'll be interested to see what kind of camp he has.

I miss Nystrom. I'd gladly bring him in over Bollig. He was a fan favorite and a leader too.

 

[Lunatik]

Agreed. Nothing wrong with trying to be tough, but Calgary can't sacrifice skill just to add size (specifically if someone brings ONLY size/toughness).



I miss Nystrom. I'd gladly bring him in over Bollig. He was a fan favorite and a leader too.

Bollig will sit in the pressbox for 40+ games most likely, they are not sacrificing anything having him on the roster. A good team guy, that can sit the pressbox is vital to being a good team.