Around the NHL Thread - Found the Missing #16

[SKRusty]

I am legit not joking, and honestly I think we should all want it to happen. A lot can change in a couple years, but right now I don’t see any situation that Gio is exposed. I think Brodie and Hamonic could be both be gone, so that leaves us protecting 3 of Gio, Hanifin, Valimaki, Kylington and Andersson.

For the forwards, it’s a sure bet that Monahan, Gaudreau, Lindholm and Tkachuk are protected. Backlund will be over 30 by then and I think we all want our young guys to emerge and become impact players. Meaning that Dube, Jankowski and Mangiapagne should hopefully evolve into cost controlled valuable players. I am also hopeful Bennett continues to become something and cements himself as a core piece. Neal isn’t going to be claimed, so taking a 30 year old with significant cap left on his deal for a team that will need space isn’t an awful idea.

Tre and co have analyzed this for several years now and have done a good job at insulating the positions and acquiring depth so the Flames are affected as little as possible.

Defensemen Protected: The best 3 of Hanifin, Valimaki, Kylington and Andersson (Gio's will likely be dangled being in his late 30's by then)
Forwards Protected: Johnny, Mony, Chucky, Lindholm, and 3 of Bennett, Jankowski, Dube, Czarnik, Foo, and Mangiapane-- Backlund will likely be dangled as his prime career expectancy will be 2-3 years. Janko, Dube and Bennett will just be entering their prime.

Seattle will almost 100% take a d-man. Depending if they want leadership they will take Gio (Also depends how Gio's body ages) but the more likely option will be the unprotected D-man. Expect Tre to be drafting a d-man early this year.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Tre and co have analyzed this for several years now and have done a good job at insulating the positions and acquiring depth so the Flames are affected as little as possible.

Defensemen Protected: The best 3 of Hanifin, Valimaki, Kylington and Andersson (Gio's will likely be dangled being in his late 30's by then)
Forwards Protected: Johnny, Mony, Chucky, Lindholm, and 3 of Bennett, Jankowski, Dube, Czarnik, Foo, and Mangiapane-- Backlund will likely be dangled as his prime career expectancy will be 2-3 years. Janko, Dube and Bennett will just be entering their prime.

Seattle will almost 100% take a d-man. Depending if they want leadership they will take Gio (Also depends how Gio's body ages) but the more likely option will be the unprotected D-man. Expect Tre to be drafting a d-man early this year.

Please be Victor Soderstrom.

 

[Mr Snrub]

Please be Victor Soderstrom.

If we do indeed pick a RHD I'm starting to think we might draft late enough that Seider could be the best guy on the board.

 

[crazyfisherman]

remember all that garbage oiler fans were saying about us winning so many games in extra time? barely a peep now that 6 of their 14 wins has come from ot or after

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

I am legit not joking, and honestly I think we should all want it to happen. .

We should all want Giordano (and Brodie, and Backlund, among others) to retire a lifetime Calgary Flame tbh.

Yzerman, Zetterberg, Lidstrom
Sakic
Daniel and Henrik Sedin

In other sports, guys like Reggie Miller and Kobe Bryant

There's something special about great players who are lifers for their organization, handing the torch down on their terms. I have a certain love for it.

I get that people want to be pragmatic about something like the cap, but at the core hockey is a sport about heart, and nothing speaks to a fanbase than memories of a guy who played every single game of a successful career in one jersey. It's so rare. We traded Nieuwendyk. We traded MacInnis We traded Fleury. We traded Iginla and he became a damn journeyman.

Let's win some cups with Gio, Brodie, Backlund, and let them retire Flames. This organization needs stories for the historybooks like that.

If a day comes where Gio is so, SO bad that his contract actively hurts the Flames, then maybe it's a different story. But I suspect he will fade into the sunset in a way we'll be telling our grandkids. Maybe even raise a cup in the last game of his career, like Lanny.

 

[Mobiandi]

If this core proves to be a legit contender, Treliving will give his arm to keep it intact. I have full belief that he'll handle the upcoming expansion draft well

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

If this core proves to be a legit contender, Treliving will give his arm to keep it intact. I have full belief that he'll handle the upcoming expansion draft well

Even if we lose a good player, we will recover.

The Capitals lost a player who became Vegas' #1D and a legit one at that. They won the cup.
The Preds lost a top six forward, they win the President's Trophy and may again.

I'd argue the team that lost the most was the one who gave up their Giordano trying to protect their Valimaki... Pittsburgh and now Matt Murray sucks while Fleury is still a beauty and a half. Fleury should have been a Penguin for life.

 

[Sparky93]

I fully expect Kylington or a 1st to be moved at the deadline. The team is just too close to let opportunity pass us by. I’m not going to claim to know what the move will be, maybe Ho-Sang or Lehner, maybe both but I’ll be very surprised if we sit on our hands.

 

[Mobiandi]

Even if we lose a good player, we will recover.

The Capitals lost a player who became Vegas' #1D and a legit one at that. They won the cup.
The Preds lost a top six forward, they win the President's Trophy and may again.

I'd argue the team that lost the most was the one who gave up their Giordano trying to protect their Valimaki... Pittsburgh and now Matt Murray sucks while Fleury is still a beauty and a half. Fleury should have been a Penguin for life.

I mean the Panthers gave up two-thirds of Vegas' first line and have remained a bubble team. Marchessault had already broken out as a 30-goal scorer and they chose not to protect him.

Pittsburgh lost the most sentimentally but they probably would've three-peated if they got past the Caps

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

We need to remember they can only take one player. Yeah maybe we lose a young player with upside but that’s not the end of the world with Todd Button to draft us someone else.

Good post OKG

 

[JPeeper]

I fully expect Kylington or a 1st to be moved at the deadline. The team is just too close to let opportunity pass us by. I’m not going to claim to know what the move will be, maybe Ho-Sang or Lehner, maybe both but I’ll be very surprised if we sit on our hands.

If the Flames blow a 1st or Kylington to acquire Ho-Sang or Lehner I would become an Oiler fan immediately.

 

[SKRusty]

I fully expect Kylington or a 1st to be moved at the deadline. The team is just too close to let opportunity pass us by. I’m not going to claim to know what the move will be, maybe Ho-Sang or Lehner, maybe both but I’ll be very surprised if we sit on our hands.

Tre assembled the roster with no intentions of doing anything big at the trade deadline (barring significant injuries) other than maybe a goalie. Historically big trade deadline deals over the last 20 years have not worked out. There are a few that have worked like Justin Schultz for Pittsburgh but for the most part the trade deadline is more for teams later in the dynasty like Chicago's last 2 and the Penguins last 2 to fill third & fourth line roles as well as bottom pairing d-men. Calgary arguably does not have the issues with depth in either forwards or defense.

Calgary needs to hang onto the young prospects for a prolonged Stanley Cup window. If the Flames start going deep in the playoffs good to great players are going to have to be sacrificed for young stars. Moving players like Brodie, Hamonic, Backlund, Bennett, Gio and maybe even Johnny may need to be considered. If Chucky does come in at $8-9M next season who do the Flames sacrifice? Realistically if Bennett, Mangiapane and Chucky all have career years and Smith leaves and we need a new goalie the Flames could need up to $20M in cap space.

So lets say Tre moves Stone, Fro, and Neal that is only $13.5M AAV with Simth's it takes it to $18M cleared in cap space... Who gets moved next to free up $2M more? The season after Kylington and Andersson come due for big raises... Brodie and Hamonic are up for UFA status. This cycle is not going to stop.

From here on in the competitiveness is going to be determined by the prospects in Stockton. The only free agents that will be able to be afforded will be free agents out of Europe and flyers like Czarnick, Chaisson and bargains like that. Use the Hawks as a case study to be a long term contender and then look at the decision that killed their ability to contend.. Signing Toews and Kane to $10 plus M AAV.

Lombardi's loyalty to Mike Richards ... Unfortunately to remain a contender loyalty to players has to come second to the health of the franchise. If the stars on this club get gready and want full market value unfortunately Tre will have to move them... Even if their names are Johnny Gaudreau ... Sean Monahan ... TJ Brodie and the list goes on.

So I would be very happy to see no moves at the trade deadline this year. We need to re-stock out cupboards a little if we are going to compete for the next 10 years. Our guys are young so lets not get too far ahead of ourselves.

 

[crackdown44]

We need to remember they can only take one player. Yeah maybe we lose a young player with upside but that’s not the end of the world with Todd Button to draft us someone else.

Good post OKG

I think if the previous expansion draft showed anything it’s that it’s not a good idea to give up good prospects in order for a specific player to be taken. Just protect who you must and let them pick who they will. Minnesota and Florida are two of the teams that came out of it looking the worst having lost Tuch/Haula and Smith/Marchessault

 

[DCDM]

Well the out of town scoreboard sucked last night lol

 

[JPeeper]

Well the out of town scoreboard sucked last night lol

Contrary to popular belief the Pacific isn't the worst division in hockey. The metro is. All three Pacific teams in the playoffs right now would be atop the Metro.

Keeping the Oilers at that 14th draft spot, just outside the playoffs is fine by me. Let them win 1 or 2 here, give them hope so they can draft some dud like they always do.

 

[DCDM]

Contrary to popular belief the Pacific isn't the worst division in hockey. The metro is. All three Pacific teams in the playoffs right now would be atop the Metro.

Keeping the Oilers at that 14th draft spot, just outside the playoffs is fine by me. Let them win 1 or 2 here, give them hope so they can draft some dud like they always do.

I'm not really worried about the Oilers honestly. They've gone from a team that scores lots but gives up lots to a team that gives up less but scores less. Of course they'll win games now and then but they aren't the Pacific team I'm concerned about lol.

Sharks and Ducks were bound to get their shit together eventually. Flames just have to keep doing their thing to stay ahead of the curve.

 

[Anglesmith]

I'm not really worried about the Oilers honestly. They've gone from a team that scores lots but gives up lots to a team that gives up less but scores less. Of course they'll win games now and then but they aren't the Pacific team I'm concerned about lol.

Sharks and Ducks were bound to get their **** together eventually. Flames just have to keep doing their thing to stay ahead of the curve.

I wouldn't say that the Sharks have their shit together at this point. They just beat a weak Eastern team doing a late-night road trip. They've been losing games they should win a lot lately, still.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I don’t want us to lose Backlund or Gio, or Brodie or Hamonic or any of our key players for that matter. But I want the Flames to be as good and as competitive for as many years as possible. If we have players that are 5-8 years younger than Backlund, Brodie and Hamonic and can provide the same level of play, well a good GM knows when to cut the cord. It sounds cold, but you want to ensure you don’t end up like Chicago or LA. Boston has done a very good job of keeping their core, moving out the right pieces and cycling in youth to remain competitive.

If a younger player comes in and displaces a quality vet, that’s a good thing because it means that we’re better. There’s also no black and white answer to this, every player is different and you have to weigh who they are to the franchise and it also depends on where the franchise is at. At the time of the expansion draft, as long as we have the depth, I don’t think any 30+ year old players should be exempt.

 

[SKRusty]

I don’t want us to lose Backlund or Gio, or Brodie or Hamonic or any of our key players for that matter. But I want the Flames to be as good and as competitive for as many years as possible. If we have players that are 5-8 years younger than Backlund, Brodie and Hamonic and can provide the same level of play, well a good GM knows when to cut the cord. It sounds cold, but you want to ensure you don’t end up like Chicago or LA. Boston has done a very good job of keeping their core, moving out the right pieces and cycling in youth to remain competitive.

If a younger player comes in and displaces a quality vet, that’s a good thing because it means that we’re better. There’s also no black and white answer to this, every player is different and you have to weigh who they are to the franchise and it also depends on where the franchise is at. At the time of the expansion draft, as long as we have the depth, I don’t think any 30+ year old players should be exempt.

Part of the issue when dealing with older players is there is no reduction in the buyout when they are 35 plus. There would be more teams taking chances on older players if the buyouts were at 2/3's from 26- .

Hopefully in the next CBA this get ironed out so players can have longer careers.

 

[Mr Snrub]

Toronto is having their asses handed to them by Detroit in Nylander's return. I'm very entertained

 

[Mobiandi]

Toronto is having their asses handed to them by Detroit in Nylander's return. I'm very entertained

Not anymore :/

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Toronto is having their asses handed to them by Detroit in Nylander's return. I'm very entertained

Nylander got benched in the 3rd... lol

 

[Corpus X]

Nash 1 Van 4 going into the 3rd.

 

[super6646]

This isn't good...

 

[super6646]

I'm cheering for the Oilers tonight... I'm that pissed at the Wild.