Speculation: Armchair GM Thread: I can't believe it's not butter, I can't believe we didn't get Ryan Hartman.

[JPeeper]

Last year, Nashville was a bubble team, like the Flames were. Didn't take much for them to morph into a good team.

Nashville also has one of the best coaches, really good offensive depth and consistently good goaltending, oh and their defence plays up to their potential.

They lost the SCF 4 games to 2, not really a bubble team (sure by definition of regular season, but they were also in a good division).

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Valentin Zykov and a 3rd for Bennett?

Stone for a 2nd?

Sign Raanta

Gaudreau-Monahan-Tkachuk
Perron-Backlund-Zykov
Mangiapane/Dube-Jankowski-Ferland
Lazar-Shore-Brouwer

Giordano-Brodie
Valimaki-Hamilton
Kulak-Hamonic

Smith
Raanta

 

[BigRangy]

Zykov is not going to be an NHLer, and even if he would be he wouldn't be any better than Jankowski and I sure as hell would not trade Bennett for Janko

Awful, next.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I dunno, I do like that his name is Valentine.

 

[Fig]

Darling (if Carolina retains and is looking to go a different direction such as open the pocket book for a higher profile goalie via trade)
Lehner
Dell
Mrazek

Assuming everyone else is someone too pricey to acquire, how do these lower cost options look like?

 

[Mobiandi]

I don't think the Sharks would trade a promising backup to a divisional rival, despite the Kings setting that bizarre precedent

 

[Fig]

I don't think the Sharks would trade a promising backup to a divisional rival, despite the Kings setting that bizarre precedent

Isn't Dell a UFA? Or am I mistaken?

 

[Anglesmith]

I don't think the Sharks would trade a promising backup to a divisional rival, despite the Kings setting that bizarre precedent

The Kings did no such thing. They traded Martin Jones to Boston in the Lucic deal, and Boston then immediately flipped him to San Jose.

Unless you are talking about a different deal?

 

[Lunatik]

Isn't Dell a UFA? Or am I mistaken?

He signed a 2 year extension on Feb. 28th

 

[Kahvi]

I'd probably trade Hamilton for Ristolainen, though I think Buffalo says no without thinking.

 

[Mobiandi]

The Kings did no such thing. They traded Martin Jones to Boston in the Lucic deal, and Boston then immediately flipped him to San Jose.

Unless you are talking about a different deal?

I definitely had it in my mind that Jones was shipped to the Sharks for a first to the Kings. Weird

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

What about Holtby? Wonder if he could be had.

People around here won’t like it (ie no one wanted Smith Rask, Varlamov, or Fleury last year). He may be having a down year but he is a great goalie.

Smith + Kylington

For

Holtby

 

[Tkachuky]

What about Holtby? Wonder if he could be had.

People around here won’t like it (ie no one wanted Smith Rask, Varlamov, or Fleury last year). He may be having a down year but he is a great goalie.

Smith + Kylington

For

Holtby

I would think we would have to give up more than that.

 

[Fig]

He signed a 2 year extension on Feb. 28th

Oops, I am mistaken then. Drop him from the list for sure and replace him with maybe... Bernier? Would some longer shots like Condon shake free?

What about Holtby? Wonder if he could be had.

People around here won’t like it (ie no one wanted Smith Rask, Varlamov, or Fleury last year). He may be having a down year but he is a great goalie.

Smith + Kylington

For

Holtby

Why on earth does Washington even bother to entertain this? They'd easily get more from certain teams like Philly or Carolina IMO with the added in conference premium.


Minor trade: Rychel for Poirier, yay/nay?
I think both guys could use a change of scenery and both guys might do better playing closer to home. Rychel is a Cali kid, Poirier a MTL kid. We wouldn't gain nor lose a whole lot of value on such a trade, and I think MTL views it the same way and wouldn't ask for too much on top of Poirier. Rychel is at least looking like a bottom 6 option long term. They may be more willing to do the trade as Poirier is French. Rychel is a good option to help remove Poirier from the bottom 6 logjam for RW. I honestly think it's doing all parties a solid vs a giving up on players type trade.

How far is the value difference between the two?

 

[Turning Mangiapanese]

Let's just go with Smith/Rittich. They were perfectly adequate this season and rather far down the list of why we didn't make the playoffs. In fact Smith was the only reason we were not in total freefall by December.

Sure it would be nice to have a starter closer to 25 than 35 years of age, but at this point I'll take an offseason without playing the goalie roulette and rather blow whatever measly assets we have left on improving the forward corps.

 

[Dack]

I wonder how much Derek Ryan is worth in UFA? Shoots right, can play center and has produced well for a bottom 6 guy his past two years. Has some nice fancy stats as well.

 

[Tkachuky]

I think we need to address out Forward Scoring Issues as a priority.

 

[The Gnome]

Same, I think the forward scoring depth is a much larger issue than our goaltending. I'm fine with Smith/Rittich. We need a coaching overhaul and a lot of new bodies upfront way more than a new goaltender. Smith was hands down our MVP this year, we would've been a bottom feeder without him.

 

[Mr Snrub]

What about Holtby? Wonder if he could be had.

People around here won’t like it (ie no one wanted Smith Rask, Varlamov, or Fleury last year). He may be having a down year but he is a great goalie.

Smith + Kylington

For

Holtby

I wouldn't do that deal. If Holtby is actually falling off then we have no clear cut starter. Don't care about Kylington.

Goalies always tend to come cheaper than people expect.

 

[Flames Fanatic]

I wouldn't do that deal. If Holtby is actually falling off then we have no clear cut starter. Don't care about Kylington.

Goalies always tend to come cheaper than people expect.

Really? You wouldn't take the 28 year old 2016 Vezina winner for our 36 year old starter? At the cost of our project prospect?

Holtby has two seasons where he's gotten less than a .920 save percentage, this year and the lockout shortened year.

His down year has been a problem. Without a doubt. But the guy has superior career stats over any goalie the Flames have gotten in a long long time. He only has two years left on his deal, so that's a gamble I'd take at least 9 out of 10 times.

Plus his cap hit is higher than his salary for the next two years, which you know Flames ownership would love.

In the end though it's irrelevant because the Caps would never make that deal. Both from value and that they have no need for Smith.

 

[Body Checker]

I wonder how much Derek Ryan is worth in UFA? Shoots right, can play center and has produced well for a bottom 6 guy his past two years. Has some nice fancy stats as well.

I was thinking he’d be a good add too but then we grabbed nick shore who I’ve been impressed with. Shore will be a cheaper 4th line Center to play behind jankowski than Ryan would

 

[Dack]

I was thinking he’d be a good add too but then we grabbed nick shore who I’ve been impressed with. Shore will be a cheaper 4th line Center to play behind jankowski than Ryan would

I was actually thinking him for 3RW and add someone significant to the top 6 or maybe moving Jankowski down to the 4th line if necessary (Not sure him being the third line center is good enough if he plays similar to this year)

Something like

Gaudreau-Monahan-Top 6 guy
Tkachuk-Backlund-Bennett/Ferland/Frolik
Bennett/Ferland-Jankowski/Ryan-Ryan/Frolik

For the top 9 which also frees up one of the wingers to be packaged with some other stuff for top 6 guy. If need be either of Frolik or Ferland could play 4th line as well.

I agree on Shore though he's a really good 4C.

 

[Mr Snrub]

Really? You wouldn't take the 28 year old 2016 Vezina winner for our 36 year old starter? At the cost of our project prospect?

Holtby has two seasons where he's gotten less than a .920 save percentage, this year and the lockout shortened year.

His down year has been a problem. Without a doubt. But the guy has superior career stats over any goalie the Flames have gotten in a long long time. He only has two years left on his deal, so that's a gamble I'd take at least 9 out of 10 times.

Plus his cap hit is higher than his salary for the next two years, which you know Flames ownership would love.

In the end though it's irrelevant because the Caps would never make that deal. Both from value and that they have no need for Smith.

Just a matter of not wanting to make that gamble right after we shored up a major need by getting Smith in the first place. If it pays off it pays off, but if it doesn't, we're suddenly in the market for a starter again and that's not a good place to be with the team where it is right now.

 

[viper0220]

“7 Worst Flames Trades Ever.”

Calgary Flames | Seven Worst Trades in Franchise History

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Missing from that list

Sergei Makarov (sorry, had to) to Hartford for a bag of pucks (future considerations)

Joey Mullen to Pittsburgh for a 2nd round pick

Phil Housley for Cale Hulse and stuff