Speculation: My thoughts on the flames

[simeon van loon]

What should the flames do This trade deadline? Well to me the flames are an interesting team because they have a team that should be good, who should be contending for top spot in the pacific division. But the fact is they are not there as of right now, so should the flames be a seller or should they try and add someone who could put them over the top. Well in my personal opinion they should just reset and prepare for next season, and not shop the prospects and picks we have. I personally would like the flames to try and shop Jakob Markstrom, because he’s on the decline as a starter in the league and I think vladar and wolf could be our future in net. Dustin wolf has surprised a lot of critics being that he is undersized and has been one of the best goalies in the AHL. If the flames were to add to the team instead of subtracting, what should that addition be? Well a top six forward would help solidify the top six on the team someone like Travis konecny or timo Meier. A depth defenseman would also help the flames someone like luke Schenn or gavrikov who is on the blue jackets. On defenseman that I think would be awesome to acquire is Jakob chychrun the only thing I have against it is that we would need to add a lot to that deal which I’m not very good with giving up a first round pick or any of our top prospects like Connor Zary, Dustin wolf, Jakob Pelletier, Matthew corranoto( he isn’t signed yet). I would be fine with trading kylington( i don’t know if he’ll play again for the flames) Phillips sadly won’t play for the flames while sutter is the head coach, so trading him would be fine. One thing I think about when talking about the flames this season is look at the team when sutter took over for ward in the shortened season gaudreau and tkachuk both sucked under sutter for the rest of that season, then the next season both tkachuk and gaudreau both had career years in all sides of the ice. Now why does that encourage me? Well Huberdeau, and Weegar and somewhat Kadri are on pace for career lows in all areas of the ice. So that encourages me that next season all the players will be back to normal and be better under sutter. So I don’t think firing Darryl sutter would be the smart thing to do. The bottom line is the flames need better from both there goaltenders if they wanna make the playoffs. I do think that the flames should start vladar a bit more being he has been the better goalie so far this season I’m not bashing Markstrom at all just think Markstrom needs a mental reset. Should the flames miss the playoffs I think treliving will get canned before Darryl does. I think the darryl signing was more ownership then treliving. Tre needs an extension as well. If he does gets canned I could see Craig conroy becoming the GM which would be cool.

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[Bert Mckrakken]

I think that Calgary needs to decide first who the GM next year is going to be. If its Tre, fine, extend him and let him run the deadline. If you're going to go another direction, move on now and get a new guy in who can make some moves with next year in mind.

IMO Get rid of Markstrom, if he doesn't want to wave to facilitate a trade, wave him to put him with the wranglers. Run Wolf/Vladar the rest of the year, see what you have with that pairing.

Next see what kind of moves you can make with the top of the roster. Hubby isn't happy? Peace out homeslice.
Extend Lindholm, or trade his ass for picks at THIS deadline, maximize return.
See about aquiring Meir or someone who has that kind of scoring upside (Not to sure of anyone else who is available who fits. Debrincant maybe at the draft)
Give Backlund the C

IMO the roster is a little flawed. Yes its deep, but we don't have any of the cheap contracts on the bottom of the roster. I believe the team would be better suited if we ACTUALLY GRADUATE PROSPECTS for once. Zary, Coronoto, Pelltier. Need those small contracts to make cap work and allow you different areas to improve.

Trade one of the defence. We have alot of the same type of player on the backend, such as Andersson Hanafin and Weegar. I think Andersson is better than the other two, and we just got Weegs, so Hanafin is the odd man out. See what kind of return you can get for him. Ideally a decent winger that can play top 6 minutes.

Get rid of a few of our role players that are a little overpayed, and try and turn them into either picks, or young cost controlled players

I would keep on the roster

Dube - Lindholm - xxx
Pelltier - Kadri - xxx
xxx - Backlund - Mangi
xxx - Rudzika - xxx

Andersson - xxx
Tanev - Weegar
Stone - Zadorov

Wolf
Vladar

So I am moving out Markstrom, Toffoli, Coleman, Huberdeau, Hanafin, Lewis, Ritchie, and Lucic.
If some of it has to be done in the offseason, so be it, but thats what I would try and move out, and then fill around the edges. Need something to shake this team up, apparently Johnny and Chucky weren't enough.

Can fill the rest of the spots on the roster with our young guys who deserve a look, and the return you get from trades.

If Sutter won't give the younger guys proper playing time, Love will, promote him and lets fkn goooooo

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Should've blown it up during the off-season. Tkachuk could've netted us better futures (but maybe he also would've got trash like Iginla).

When Murray Edwards is no longer the owner, I pray someone less meddlesome takes the reigns.

 

[DomBarr]

What should the flames do This trade deadline? Well to me the flames are an interesting team because they have a team that should be good, who should be contending for top spot in the pacific division. But the fact is they are not there as of right now, so should the flames be a seller or should they try and add someone who could put them over the top. Well in my personal opinion they should just reset and prepare for next season, and not shop the prospects and picks we have. I personally would like the flames to try and shop Jakob Markstrom, because he’s on the decline as a starter in the league and I think vladar and wolf could be our future in net. Dustin wolf has surprised a lot of critics being that he is undersized and has been one of the best goalies in the AHL. If the flames were to add to the team instead of subtracting, what should that addition be? Well a top six forward would help solidify the top six on the team someone like Travis konecny or timo Meier. A depth defenseman would also help the flames someone like luke Schenn or gavrikov who is on the blue jackets. On defenseman that I think would be awesome to acquire is Jakob chychrun the only thing I have against it is that we would need to add a lot to that deal which I’m not very good with giving up a first round pick or any of our top prospects like Connor Zary, Dustin wolf, Jakob Pelletier, Matthew corranoto( he isn’t signed yet). I would be fine with trading kylington( i don’t know if he’ll play again for the flames) Phillips sadly won’t play for the flames while sutter is the head coach, so trading him would be fine. One thing I think about when talking about the flames this season is look at the team when sutter took over for ward in the shortened season gaudreau and tkachuk both sucked under sutter for the rest of that season, then the next season both tkachuk and gaudreau both had career years in all sides of the ice. Now why does that encourage me? Well Huberdeau, and Weegar and somewhat Kadri are on pace for career lows in all areas of the ice. So that encourages me that next season all the players will be back to normal and be better under sutter. So I don’t think firing Darryl sutter would be the smart thing to do. The bottom line is the flames need better from both there goaltenders if they wanna make the playoffs. I do think that the flames should start vladar a bit more being he has been the better goalie so far this season I’m not bashing Markstrom at all just think Markstrom needs a mental reset. Should the flames miss the playoffs I think treliving will get canned before Darryl does. I think the darryl signing was more ownership then treliving. Tre needs an extension as well. If he does gets canned I could see Craig conroy becoming the GM which would be cool.

a lot to unpack and REALLY hard to read..
The key is the time to "reset" was before extending Huberdeau and Weegar and signing Kadri now they are in firefighting mode because they didn't open the window they busted the window.
IF no big moves are made at the deadline and the team continues to challenge for a wildcard based on losing in OT or falls out of the playoffs I think we see Treliving AND Sutter shown the door.

 

[DomBarr]

Should've blown it up during the off-season. Tkachuk could've netted us better futures (but maybe he also would've got trash like Iginla).

When Murray Edwards is no longer the owner, I pray someone less meddlesome takes the reigns.

its not the return that Tkachuk got its that they didn't use it to get better either now or in the future. Both Huberdeau and Weegar would have netted a minimum of a 1st, a top prospect and a player which Tkachuk would not have returned by himself.
If we could have turned Tkachuk and Gaudreau into 3 1sts, 2 top prospects, 1 B prospect and a couple of young ok players. PLUS $17 M in cap space ($24 if Kadri isn't signed) that is a grand slam reset.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Should've blown it up during the off-season. Tkachuk could've netted us better futures (but maybe he also would've got trash like Iginla).

When Murray Edwards is no longer the owner, I pray someone less meddlesome takes the reigns.

Should have kept Monny, and gotten all kinds of picks/prospects for JG/MT.
Blown it up and we'd have been in the Bedard sweepstakes like Van

 

[Bert Mckrakken]

its not the return that Tkachuk got its that they didn't use it to get better either now or in the future. Both Huberdeau and Weegar would have netted a minimum of a 1st, a top prospect and a player which Tkachuk would not have returned by himself.
If we could have turned Tkachuk and Gaudreau into 3 1sts, 2 top prospects, 1 B prospect and a couple of young ok players. PLUS $17 M in cap space ($24 if Kadri isn't signed) that is a grand slam reset.

Agreed, however management wouldn't let this happen. I think the majority of the fanbase would have been ok with this, and it was the perfect time to get it done. Selling off other assets at the deadline would have sped it up even faster if we were in the race for Bedard.
Lindholm, Tanev.. lots of attractive pieces for other teams.

However we are where we are, and coulda woulda shoulda isn't going to help us much unfortunately.

 

[thaman8765678]

Why should we be contending? We don't have any elite players.

If we still had Johnny and Tkachuk I'd say sure go all in, but we have a collection of really good to average 2nd liners and 3rd liners (and lindholm who is a decent first liner).

We have zero game breakers. Don't sell the future in hopes of getting 2 playoff home games please.

 

[ChrisOsullivan]

I think that Calgary needs to decide first who the GM next year is going to be. If its Tre, fine, extend him and let him run the deadline. If you're going to go another direction, move on now and get a new guy in who can make some moves with next year in mind.

IMO Get rid of Markstrom, if he doesn't want to wave to facilitate a trade, wave him to put him with the wranglers. Run Wolf/Vladar the rest of the year, see what you have with that pairing.

Next see what kind of moves you can make with the top of the roster. Hubby isn't happy? Peace out homeslice.
Extend Lindholm, or trade his ass for picks at THIS deadline, maximize return.
See about aquiring Meir or someone who has that kind of scoring upside (Not to sure of anyone else who is available who fits. Debrincant maybe at the draft)
Give Backlund the C

IMO the roster is a little flawed. Yes its deep, but we don't have any of the cheap contracts on the bottom of the roster. I believe the team would be better suited if we ACTUALLY GRADUATE PROSPECTS for once. Zary, Coronoto, Pelltier. Need those small contracts to make cap work and allow you different areas to improve.

Trade one of the defence. We have alot of the same type of player on the backend, such as Andersson Hanafin and Weegar. I think Andersson is better than the other two, and we just got Weegs, so Hanafin is the odd man out. See what kind of return you can get for him. Ideally a decent winger that can play top 6 minutes.

Get rid of a few of our role players that are a little overpayed, and try and turn them into either picks, or young cost controlled players

I would keep on the roster

Dube - Lindholm - xxx
Pelltier - Kadri - xxx
xxx - Backlund - Mangi
xxx - Rudzika - xxx

Andersson - xxx
Tanev - Weegar
Stone - Zadorov

Wolf
Vladar

So I am moving out Markstrom, Toffoli, Coleman, Huberdeau, Hanafin, Lewis, Ritchie, and Lucic.
If some of it has to be done in the offseason, so be it, but thats what I would try and move out, and then fill around the edges. Need something to shake this team up, apparently Johnny and Chucky weren't enough.

Can fill the rest of the spots on the roster with our young guys who deserve a look, and the return you get from trades.

If Sutter won't give the younger guys proper playing time, Love will, promote him and lets fkn goooooo

This isn't fantasy hockey.

Calgary, like most Canadian markets has to tread lightly with how it deals with signed FA's and that includes Trade and signed players like Huberdeau. Both Brower and Neal took nearly 2 full seasons to be moved on from as it has to show clearly that the players did not perform, in multiple years.

No one would take Markstrom at his current cap hit, with multiple years remaining. Retaining salary, for several years, as the flames would have to do, is also not usual. Huberdeau based on this season and his new cap hit would also be very hard to move. If you could make a "hockey trade" for him in the off-season, you are going to take back 1 if not 2, bad contracts.

All that can be done with these players is to hope this is a "one-off" and they will return to more normal production next year. If they do, perhaps it is enough to help the team reinvent itself as a bubble / playoff contending team, if not - well, nothing improves and you then have this same issue next year and perhaps forever until the owner gives the ok to buy 1 of them out.

I am a big fan of Daryl Sutter, but with these "issues" I wonder if there is a consideration to make a coaching change and see if that might ignite Huberdeau.

 

[MM917]

I think that Calgary needs to decide first who the GM next year is going to be. If its Tre, fine, extend him and let him run the deadline. If you're going to go another direction, move on now and get a new guy in who can make some moves with next year in mind.

IMO Get rid of Markstrom, if he doesn't want to wave to facilitate a trade, wave him to put him with the wranglers. Run Wolf/Vladar the rest of the year, see what you have with that pairing.

Next see what kind of moves you can make with the top of the roster. Hubby isn't happy? Peace out homeslice.
Extend Lindholm, or trade his ass for picks at THIS deadline, maximize return.
See about aquiring Meir or someone who has that kind of scoring upside (Not to sure of anyone else who is available who fits. Debrincant maybe at the draft)
Give Backlund the C

IMO the roster is a little flawed. Yes its deep, but we don't have any of the cheap contracts on the bottom of the roster. I believe the team would be better suited if we ACTUALLY GRADUATE PROSPECTS for once. Zary, Coronoto, Pelltier. Need those small contracts to make cap work and allow you different areas to improve.

Trade one of the defence. We have alot of the same type of player on the backend, such as Andersson Hanafin and Weegar. I think Andersson is better than the other two, and we just got Weegs, so Hanafin is the odd man out. See what kind of return you can get for him. Ideally a decent winger that can play top 6 minutes.

Get rid of a few of our role players that are a little overpayed, and try and turn them into either picks, or young cost controlled players

I would keep on the roster

Dube - Lindholm - xxx
Pelltier - Kadri - xxx
xxx - Backlund - Mangi
xxx - Rudzika - xxx

Andersson - xxx
Tanev - Weegar
Stone - Zadorov

Wolf
Vladar

So I am moving out Markstrom, Toffoli, Coleman, Huberdeau, Hanafin, Lewis, Ritchie, and Lucic.
If some of it has to be done in the offseason, so be it, but thats what I would try and move out, and then fill around the edges. Need something to shake this team up, apparently Johnny and Chucky weren't enough.

Can fill the rest of the spots on the roster with our young guys who deserve a look, and the return you get from trades.

If Sutter won't give the younger guys proper playing time, Love will, promote him and lets fkn goooooo

That looks like the kind of mediocre team that struggles to get into the play-offs with little to no upside that we have now. Maybe I am missing something but that looks like we are just downgrading the team without adding any quality, and no our young players aren't quality in any way. Clearing spots for them to play in doesn't help us now, later or ever.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

The only thing that will make this an enjoyable season for this lifelong Flames fan is to see us pass Edm and knock them out of the playoff race. Man, that would feel real good.