Player Discussion Troy Brouwer - our $4.5 million grinder

[BigRangy]

Brouwer shouldn’t be bought out, he should just be waived if he’s still bad under a new coach

The team can afford to eat the buried cap hit for two years

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Hartley understood this and actually DESIGNED systems to fit his players. He didn’t say, your English now go speak Mandarin.

While mostly true, I will say that certain players really, really, really didn't fit under Hartley. Hartley designed his systems for his top players yes, but guys like Engelland and Bollig really couldn't pull it off. You can't design your system around your 4RW and at this point that's what Troy Brouwer is on a good day.

 

[Backlund]

Why is this an issue? Pittsburgh has an 8.7m grinder and they even made him captain of their team.

Their grinder can score.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

While mostly true, I will say that certain players really, really, really didn't fit under Hartley. Hartley designed his systems for his top players yes, but guys like Engelland and Bollig really couldn't pull it off. You can't design your system around your 4RW and at this point that's what Troy Brouwer is on a good day.

I don’t disagree. But I think Brouwer is a guy you just plug into a certain role. And you can only have 1 guy like that on your roster.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Nope, designated popcorn eater for next year.

Unless we need the cap space.

Honestly he wasn’t bad on the 4th line last year. He just should never see top 9 minutes or PP time.

 

[CamPopplestone]

Overpaid but he's fine on the fourth line. Let him crash the net and try to chip in rebounds.

If we buy him out it's iext offseason do it's two years of penalties.

 

[Potty John]

I think he should just be stapled to the fourth line and PK, he's a leader and has expierence and we don't really have any RW prospects to replace him.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I think he should just be stapled to the fourth line and PK, he's a leader and has expierence and we don't really have any RW prospects to replace him.

Yeah this is generally how I feel too.

With a different coach, different utilization, and a reduced role (hopefully because other needs are addressed) I think the situation will be a lot less frustrating for everyone.

 

[Lunatik]

Yeah this is generally how I feel too.

With a different coach, different utilization, and a reduced role (hopefully because other needs are addressed) I think the situation will be a lot less frustrating for everyone.

Except it won't be because people are too hung up on $$$$. Brouwer spent most of this year on the 4th line and without PP time, he only got more time when a change was desperately needed or he was an injury replacement. His role can't really be reduced much more and people still take the opportunity to shit on him whenever possible.

 

[Mobiandi]

He should be on the PP parked in the slot

 

[FlamerForLife]

See how he does under a new coach and buy him out next season if you have to, if not just let the contract run its course.

 

[1989]

Their grinder can score.

 

[Rangediddy]

As long as that birdcage doesn’t come back, I’m fine if he get no more than 10 minutes a game.
His only use at this point is giving our better players a rest and hopefully start fights with people who run Smith or hassle Johnny (which he can’t do with a cage).
He’s by far our worst player and Treliving’s goal this offseason should be to find enough skilled players to force Brouwer out of the lineup.

 

[RedHot]

Fourth line RW. Shouldn’t be on the PP. Or th PK for that matter. But as a fourth line player last year he wasn’t that bad.

 

[Volica]

Should be fired out into the sun.
Just hasn't clicked in Calgary. Seems like a good dude, like Engelland before him; but it just hasn't fleshed out to any kind of productivity as a good NHL option.

 

[JPeeper]

Brouwer shouldn’t be bought out, he should just be waived if he’s still bad under a new coach

The team can afford to eat the buried cap hit for two years

If he is waived you really think any team would take him? Even if we put him in the AHL, you can't bury contracts anymore so the cap hit is still on the team. Unless you mean we can afford to eat a $4.5 mil cap hit, in which case he should be in the press box.

His buyout cap hit is $1.5 mil for 4 years, Flames are only eating $1.5m in 3 years time (we're saving $3mil in the meantime). Unless Bennett and Janko both break out in a huge way, there is no way the Flames will be suffering because of the $1.5 mil buy out.

He should most definitely be bought out (unless there is a guarantee he is in the pressbox for 82 games). Forget his cap-hit, giving this clown ice-time is just stupid, he does nothing. No one should defend this guy, he sucks, he offers nothing to the team. Get over him, it's over, he's done, pack it in, close it up, the clock has struck midnight.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I think you only look at buying out Brouwer this off-season if you need to. The cap space is irrelevant if you’re not going to use it. But I mean say you make a trade to add cap and then sign a guy like JVR or Kane, then sure go ahead. But if you’re just buying him because for the sake of it, sit him in the press box.

I’m still optimistic Brouwer can perform better under a different coach. Not become a different player, but at least utilize his game a little more.

I’d also honestly move Brouwer for Okposo if we could, 1 for 1. At least with Okposo he’s a decent skater and a better 2-way player. I think he would mesh with our players somewhat better. Trade for Okposo and sign JVR/Kane.

 

[Calculon]

It'd be surprising if they bought Brouwer out before giving him a chance under a new coach but Treliving did say something about not being happy with the guys he brought in. Or something along those lines. But there's no issue with cap space unless Tavares is coming here.

If they don't buy him out or trade him for an equally onerous contract, he'll get a chance to redeem himself under Peters. But his leash should be short; waiving him and sending him to Stockton would save around 1M on the cap.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

Hartley understood this and actually DESIGNED systems to fit his players. He didn’t say, your English now go speak Mandarin.

He didn't have much in the way of systems. Stretch pass offence and turtle defence is about as system-minimal as you can get.

 

[The Gnome]

I think you only look at buying out Brouwer this off-season if you need to. The cap space is irrelevant if you’re not going to use it. But I mean say you make a trade to add cap and then sign a guy like JVR or Kane, then sure go ahead. But if you’re just buying him because for the sake of it, sit him in the press box.

I’m still optimistic Brouwer can perform better under a different coach. Not become a different player, but at least utilize his game a little more.

I’d also honestly move Brouwer for Okposo if we could, 1 for 1. At least with Okposo he’s a decent skater and a better 2-way player. I think he would mesh with our players somewhat better. Trade for Okposo and sign JVR/Kane.

This is pretty much the best way to look at it. If we need the cap, sure, otherwise roll the dice and hope a new coach helps. He’s still useful as a larger body on the 4th line. Just get him away from the PP/PK.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Brouwer won't be bought out next season but he'll get the 2015-16 Mason Raymond treatment. 20-25 games to prove he can turn it around and then a trip to Stockton and a buyout afterwards.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Would you guys trade Brouwer and Stone for Bobby Ryan?

 

[Lunatik]

Would you guys trade Brouwer and Stone for Bobby Ryan?

Not without retained salary. Ryan having 4 years left is a non-starter when both Brouwer and Stone have just 2.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Not without retained salary. Ryan having 4 years left is a non-starter when both Brouwer and Stone have just 2.

Yeah, Ottawa could probably retain. What if Ryan was making 6 million instead of 7.5?

 

[Lunatik]

Yeah, Ottawa could probably retain. What if Ryan was making 6 million instead of 7.5?

At 17.5% retained ($5,981,250 cap hit), the Flames would be on the hook for $24,750,000 in actual salary, while only saving $16,000,000 in actual salary. Meaning that the Flames would still be eating 8.75m for the Sens. There is no reason to do this deal if the Flames are eating a chunk of actual dollars without compensation, so the Sens would need to eat closer to 45% (the Flames would still be taking on $500k in actual salary) or the Sens would need to be sending over that Penguins 1st round pick in the deal