Confirmed Signing with Link: [CGY] James Neal (5 years, $5.75M AAV)

[nabob]

Troy Brouwer was also a 40+ish point player and the same age when he signed in Calgary. Always iffy on older players who don’t skate well having their game tail off quicker.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

I'd give that deal a B for everyone involved. Great deal for Neal for term and great deal for Calgary who needed goal scoring.

Obviously there are a few issues with term and I think Neal could've gotten a higher average per year.

So solid. Sad he isn't on the Preds for that deal

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

geeze I like the looks of the Flames lineup

 

[tyflames]

Big flames fan not a big fan of this contract as the money could of been better spent but we desperately needed a top 6 caliber right wing. Everyone is saying he’s too slow to play with Johnny. Ferland, not an overly slow player, but not skilled put up 20+ on that line. That line is working best when they have someone on the right side shooting the puck. Whenever Ferland wouldn’t disappear and was using his shot and driving the net. That line was unstoppable. It was the other 65 games where he didn’t. That top 6 forward group is much stronger with Neal in it.

 

[DFF]

Good for Gaudreau/Monahan 3 prime years. After that they can buy him out and the cap is always going up so it's a good deal for the Flames for a free asset.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

More bull shit in cowtown.?

 

[VainGretzky]

As an Oiler fan , I am looking for ways to mock this , but I can't , he is only 30 has never scored less than 20 goals in a season his entire career , only thing I can say it's a bit pricey

 

[Devilsfan118]

Man they'll regret this deal in.. 2 years.

5 years for a 31 year old lol

 

[leafsforlife]

Congrats to Flames fans. I don’t love the length, but they need scoring right now so this makes sense.

 

[TorstenFrings]

Troy Brouwer was also a 40+ish point player and the same age when he signed in Calgary. Always iffy on older players who don’t skate well having their game tail off quicker.

While I am not trying to convince anyone that Neal is ever going to have a season like 11/12 again, this comparison seems disingenuous. Neal had several seasons significantly higher than 40 pts (one of them as recent as two seasons ago) on 3 different teams, whereas Brouwer has a career high of 43 points, i.e. pretty much what constitutes a bad season for Neal. Those two are both 40-ish points players in the same way that Jonathan Toews and Craig Smith are both 50-ish points players.

 

[viper0220]

This is stupid overreaction, the money is not bad at all, the term is long but with Seattle, coming, he is not going to be a hard sell, the Flames window to win is now.

 

[Gh24]

Noooooo, why James, why? Well tbh I can figure out few reasons, but I was hoping we'd have signed him for 5-5.5x5. I'd like to know if he even considered returning to Nashville after being left unprotected. It turned out very well for him, but still...

 

[The Moose is Loose]

Yeah this is an expensive contract

 

[Lahey]

This is stupid overreaction, the money is not bad at all, the term is long but with Seattle, coming, he is not going to be a hard sell, the Flames window to win is now.

If their window is to win now.. they need a lot of help.

 

[viper0220]

This is a slightly more productive Troy Brauwer. One thing I would be extremely worried about is that Neals +- is horrendous, even while playing on cup final teams. Most of his assists are from the PP also.

Troy Brouwer never had the seasons the seasons that Neal had(check the stats), +- really is not a big deal, "Most of his assists are from the PP also", you say this as if were a bad thing, check out the Flames PP from last year.

 

[voxel]

As an Oilers fan, I'm kinda jelly. This is actually a reasonable deal.

At worst, his last year or two are bought out.

 

[viper0220]

If their window is to win now.. they need a lot of help.

There are lot's lot's of definition of window to win, the Flames are likely in no mans land, not good enough to win and not bad enough to get the high picks. I like this because the Flames pissed away the prime year of Jarome Iginla and Kipper, this management is trying not to do the same thing with this core.

 

[Unspecified]

You know you are playing armchair GM as well. They are called opinions and you are getting upset that people are disagreeing with you.

Who is getting upset? If you and others want to say the term and whatnot is bad just remember you don't get paid to make these decisions and likely have less knowledge than those that do.

 

[viper0220]

As an Oiler fan , I am looking for ways to mock this , but I can't , he is only 30 has never scored less than 20 goals in a season his entire career , only thing I can say it's a bit pricey

The money is not bad, term is long(by a year) but that is what you have to give in free agency, I think in the first 3 seasons he will be a 20-25 goal scorer and in the last 2 years he is 15-20 goal scorer, which is not bad, also he can cannon fodder for Seattle.

 

[ziggyjoe212]

People call Neal a 25g scorer but if the flames can get their hands on a Malkin then Neal is a 40 g scorer.
/S

 

[north49er]

His goals will help but his +/- stats may hurt a bit. Some say +/- don't count for much but -11 on a decent Vegas team and -10 in his last year with Nashville does say something. Probably because he's slowing down in a faster league.

 

[Puckclektr]

Who is getting upset? If you and others want to say the term and whatnot is bad just remember you don't get paid to make these decisions and likely have less knowledge than those that do.

I didn't even give an opinion.lol All I said is that people are giving opinions and because they are not the same as yours that they are laughable and armchair GMs. I only get paid for doing my job, so I can't have an opinion on anything else in life. I'd like to apologize to Pearl Jam in advanced for not liking the last four albums. I should've known.

 

[DFF]

Troy Brouwer was also a 40+ish point player and the same age when he signed in Calgary. Always iffy on older players who don’t skate well having their game tail off quicker.

UFAs are always overpaid and risky. Even Tarvares deal can be real bad later.

Anyway, it's not a good comparison between Brouwer and Neal. Neal can score with anybody, Brouwer not so much. Yes, Neal can be Brouwer like in the later part of the contract but who cares. They can buy him out, claimed expansion team. It's a free asset and The time is now!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[UnleashRasmus]

He might be good on the first three years of it. If he's playing with productive players, he'll produce for the fist half of the contract.

 

[viper0220]

Yeah this is an expensive contract

Not really, this is what happens in free agency, the years are a bit long but the money is good, if worst comes you can always dump him in Montreal LOL.