News Article: Calgary Flames Front Office is Awesome (paraphrased)

[F A N]

I take a grain of umbrage with that, I don't think the problem was we didn't value those players, we just had absolutely no place to fit the money in to have them back on the team. It was 100% a cap decision.

It wasn't just cap decision. With Tanev we "lowballed" him on term. With Markstrom we refused to give him expansion draft protection. Toffoli we lost due to the cap and slow decision making. Let's face it, the fan base was split on Tanev. What the fan base really wanted to do was trade Markstrom for an asset rather than re-sign him.

 

[thenextone]

I take a grain of umbrage with that, I don't think the problem was we didn't value those players, we just had absolutely no place to fit the money in to have them back on the team. It was 100% a cap decision.

I think going after Myers and re-signing Edler without a long term plan for Tanev was dumb and a cap casualty, not a cap decision. A decision implies that it was done with purpose. Benning simply couldn’t do the math.

Giving JV an extension despite his history was also incredibly stupid and lead to further cap casualties.

Trading real assets for Toffoli as a pure rental also seems like a miscalculation. If they weren’t moving forward with him long term they could have pulled a Montreal and signed him and moved him later to recoup the assets lost.

OEL is just - NHL managers are paid big bucks to multitask or delegate. If you are spending your time wining and dining a GM to get OEL, assign someone else to manage your cap and free agents.

I totally understand the Markstrom situation so it’s unfair to throw that in there. But the reality is we developed what appears to be a Vezina caliber goalie and simply let him walk to a division rival for nothing. I’m sure bubble Demko may have made the fans change their minds on the goalie situation, but the plan for those 2 goalies should have been made prior to the bubble, not in the offseason. Either resign Markstrom to an extension and deal Demko (even if it means giving up on the bubble playoffs) or deal Markstrom and roll with Demko. Going into an off-season and expansion draft knowing you would lose one for nothing is just bad managing.

 

[Dab]

I take a grain of umbrage with that, I don't think the problem was we didn't value those players, we just had absolutely no place to fit the money in to have them back on the team. It was 100% a cap decision.

No, we chose other players over them via prior contract signings.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

Having Tanev with Hughes absolutely would move the needle for us right now and in the seasons since he left. Tanev maybe moved the needle the most for our team outside of goaltending over the whole Benning regime

The Markstrom/Demko decision clearly had to be made, but the big issue was just losing everyone for nothing and the enormous incompetence and disrespect shown to players who were well loved by the team. That moment moreso than anything was when the locker room lost faith in the organization.

This alone warranted Benning being immediately fired; more so than every other garbage decision he ever made. He was so hung up on OEL, he couldn't even be bothered to give Tanev a courtesy call. And when he finally did talk with his agent, it was to tender a lowball offer: I believe 3.5M or somewhere thereabouts. Basically, an insult for someone who was so beloved the whole team called him Dad.

What's laughable is the moron was surprised Tanev lied, claiming he'll "sleep on it" only to sign with Calgary an hour later.

Meanwhile, Toffoli waited four days and never once heard a word from Benning before finally accepting the Habs offer.

How Benning still had a job after this disastrous show of gross incompetence is utterly baffling.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

No, we chose other players over them via prior contract signings.

In a roundabout way, that is also correct. I chalk it up to poor planning and foresight and cap management.

 

[F A N]

It's funny how Treliving is getting praise here. He was on the Marek show today and he talked about last season being a tough season for his players in the bubble, his good core players not being bad players overnight, and how he wanted to insulate his players with veterans who have been through the run.

He is in his 8th year as GM and has two playoff series victories to show for it. One of those series victories came in his first season where he basically had nothing to do with the roster construction.

A list of some of his moves:

Signed James Neal. Later traded him for Lucic.

Waived and traded Kulak for nothing.

Lost Giordano and Brodie for nothing.

For years ran without a legitimate #1 goalie - they did trade a 2nd (Kryou - with Debrincat available) + conditional 3rd for Brian Ellliott

Kept hiring incompetent head coaches

Traded an unprotected 1st (Noah Dobson) and two 2nds for Hamonic

Dougie Hamilton trade was a fair trade but that could have been Barzal/Connor + two 2nds,

2nd (Formenton) for Lazar (I still remember MS trashing the player at the time).

Traded Sam Bennett (after not finding a way to get the best out of him) for Heineman and a 2nd.

Mid round picks for the likes of Fantenberg and Bollig.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

It wasn't just cap decision. With Tanev we "lowballed" him on term. With Markstrom we refused to give him expansion draft protection. Toffoli we lost due to the cap and slow decision making. Let's face it, the fan base was split on Tanev. What the fan base really wanted to do was trade Markstrom for an asset rather than re-sign him.

Whatever semantics, if the cap wasn't in place all 3 of them would have been back. I don't really care what fans wanted to do, I don't expect fans to get these moves right, I expect that of people in the jobs that have the authority to actually make them.

 

[F A N]

Whatever semantics, if the cap wasn't in place all 3 of them would have been back. I don't really care what fans wanted to do, I don't expect fans to get these moves right, I expect that of people in the jobs that have the authority to actually make them.

If the cap wasn't in place we would give those guy front-loaded long term contracts. We can sign JT Miller to a 12 year front loaded contract. As long as Aquilini is willing to open his chequebook. That's not in the realm of what we're talking about here.

 

[Tomatoes11]

Like others have stated. Dim Jim was just incompetent with his planning and foresight. Demko should have had a full season ages ago and Marky moved for assets before the bubble. But Dim Jim didn’t trust him or risk 9th in the west so he chose to hung on to marky and potentially lose him for nothing . Even after he didn’t trust demko with the terrible Holtby signing and eventual trade and then the Halak signing.

Toffoli we never should have traded for him in the first place . He said the Boeser injury was the reason. In what world is an injury a reason to make a trade? Lol

Tanev we should have kept period.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Like others have stated. Dim Jim was just incompetent with his planning and foresight. Demko should have had a full season ages ago and Marky moved for assets before the bubble. But Dim Jim didn’t trust him or risk 9th in the west so he chose to hung on to marky and potentially lose him for nothing . Even after he didn’t trust demko with the terrible Holtby signing and eventual trade and then the Halak signing.

Toffoli we never should have traded for him in the first place . He said the Boeser injury was the reason. In what world is an injury a reason to make a trade? Lol

Tanev we should have kept period.

Ridiculous comment...goaltenders become NHL starters when they're both physically and mentally ready to play..No amount of astute management 'planning' can plan for when a goalie is NHL ready...Forcing the issue, is counter productive and can set their development schedule even farther back (ask Jacob Markstrom).

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Ridiculous comment...goaltenders become NHL starters when they're both physically and mentally ready to play..No amount of astute management 'planning' can plan for when a goalie is NHL ready...Forcing the issue, is counter productive and can set their development schedule even farther back (ask Jacob Markstrom).

Ridiculous comment...the only reason Demko didn't get more games beforehand was because the team was desperate to make the playoffs at all costs (Toffoli trade also signifies this), which ironically led to overplaying Markstrom and him getting injured right before the pandemic pause on the season. Demko's lack of games started had very little to do with his development and everything to do with Green/Benning trying to save their jobs by overplaying the tried-and-true goalie in Markstrom.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Does Benning get his name on the Cup if Calgary wins it? He was responsible for them ending up with Tanev, Toffoli, Andersson, Markstrom, and Mangiapane. Lol what an idiot.

 

[Draino]

I think they are all in and have traded a lot of valuable picks during the past 5 years to get here. Will be interesting to see how much they are willing to pay Tkachuk and what they do with JG . If they flop in the playoffs their future doesnt look too good imho.

It pains me to see Tanev in that red jersey. How much better would Canucks d be right now with Tanev/Hughes.

Agree with the guy above - Flames fans and their national TV supporters (Cassie, Kelly et al) are insufferable.

 

[F A N]

Ridiculous comment...the only reason Demko didn't get more games beforehand was because the team was desperate to make the playoffs at all costs (Toffoli trade also signifies this), which ironically led to overplaying Markstrom and him getting injured right before the pandemic pause on the season. Demko's lack of games started had very little to do with his development and everything to do with Green/Benning trying to save their jobs by overplaying the tried-and-true goalie in Markstrom.

The starts at the time of Markstrom's injury was 43-18. Markstrom also happened to have played in 43 games.

The target number of games to keep a #1 goalie fresh for the playoffs is less than 60 games. With 21 games to go, the Canucks were well within the target of playing Markstrom less than 60 games. Even a 15-6 game split would have meant Markstrom plays 58 and Demko 24.

I know you hate Benning but it's good to try and make reasoned arguments. A #1 goalie typically plays 55+ games. Additionally, Markstrom's last three starts was on 12th, 19th, and 22nd. 3 games in 10 days without back to backs is a relatively easy workload.

 

[Tomatoes11]

Ridiculous comment...goaltenders become NHL starters when they're both physically and mentally ready to play..No amount of astute management 'planning' can plan for when a goalie is NHL ready...Forcing the issue, is counter productive and can set their development schedule even farther back (ask Jacob Markstrom).

He was ready, he wasn’t that young . Domingue or spencer Martin would have been perfectly serviceable earlier and they should have given demko his full season earlier.

You think I would say these type of things if he wasn’t ready yet? Lol

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

He was ready, he wasn’t that young . Domingue or spencer Martin would have been perfectly serviceable earlier and they should have given demko his full season earlier.

You think I would say these type of things if he wasn’t ready yet? Lol

Nonsense......Before the 2019-20 season, Demko had played a grand total of 10 NHL games in his entire career...He wasn't ready in any way to be an NHL #1 starting goalie........That's literally how you ruin goaltenders...forcing them in before they're ready..

Age has nothing to do with it.. Demko was 24 when he hit his stride...Markstrom was 29

lol

 

[quat]

Ridiculous comment...the only reason Demko didn't get more games beforehand was because the team was desperate to make the playoffs at all costs (Toffoli trade also signifies this), which ironically led to overplaying Markstrom and him getting injured right before the pandemic pause on the season. Demko's lack of games started had very little to do with his development and everything to do with Green/Benning trying to save their jobs by overplaying the tried-and-true goalie in Markstrom.

I tried to articulate this a couple of weeks back and failed miserably (mixing up my years). Thanks for putting is so well (and accurately ).

 

[Tomatoes11]

Nonsense......Before the 2019-20 season, Demko had played a grand total of 10 NHL games in his entire career...He wasn't ready in any way to be an NHL #1 starting goalie........That's literally how you ruin goaltenders...forcing them in before they're ready..

Age has nothing to do with it.. Demko was 24 when he hit his stride...Markstrom was 29

lol

Lol you do realize they have to start somewhere right? Sigh. He was ready to take the starting role the same way spencer Martin is ready to be our back up. It’s based on ability and age does matter tardy boy lol. It means they have been brewing in the AHL for awhile. Duh.

And you do realize that demko only had 10 games because of dim and greens stupidity right? Lol he should have played way more games before the 2019-20 season.

If Demko wasn’t ready then it means Binnington and cam ward wasn’t anywhere near ready to take their teams to a cup. Plenty of goalies are starters now with very little nhl games. Just off the top of my head. Swayman and Oettinger. I bet you that Boston really regrets that ullmark contract right now. Dallas not so much because they sort of need Holtby as an expensive back up.

So no not nonsense. Demko was ready. Sigh… dim Jim homers these days…. Just admit it, dim messed up.

 

[HeLord]

LOL, lames are trash! Their fans were trashing Treliving last year, but now he is suddenly awesome? Not buying it. I hope they get embarrassed again in the playoffs.

 

[Jyrki]

The Flames are only contending because we gave away Tanev/Markstrom and Toffoli indirectly. Without Jimbo's massive blunders (even when starting at Myers) it's likely we swap places with them. We basically gave a pretty crappy org a new lease on life.

 

[mossey3535]

As someone who now lives in Calgary, it's funny to see the revisionist history on one hand. I think FAN made a good post on a lot of Treliving's foibles.

BUT on the other hand, they still have a deep and balanced roster. They got lucky on some fronts, like Mangiapane coming along, Kylington finally figuring it out this season, Ruzicka, Benning letting them have a top-6 forward, a top-2 d-man, and a #1 goalie, etc. Still, they have the team that they do this year and to a lesser extent 3-4 years ago (can't remember when their deep-ish run was, I think 2017?). That's DESPITE all the f*** ups, on balance they still assembled a good roster.

 

[HeLord]

As someone who now lives in Calgary, it's funny to see the revisionist history on one hand. I think FAN made a good post on a lot of Treliving's foibles.

BUT on the other hand, they still have a deep and balanced roster. They got lucky on some fronts, like Mangiapane coming along, Kylington finally figuring it out this season, Ruzicka, Benning letting them have a top-6 forward, a top-2 d-man, and a #1 goalie, etc. Still, they have the team that they do this year and to a lesser extent 3-4 years ago (can't remember when their deep-ish run was, I think 2017?). That's DESPITE all the f*** ups, on balance they still assembled a good roster.

They never had a deep run with their current core.

 

[mossey3535]

They never had a deep run with their current core.

I'm not a Flames fan. Had it mixed up with their 2018-2019 3rd overall regular season with 107 points

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

cant believe this thread is still alive
wtf

 

[CanucksSayEh]

Tanevs $ went to Holtby, never forget.