Lines when Colborne/Backs/Raymond are all back

[MisterJoji]

Man, who would've thought this would be a problem at the beginning of the year? Too many good young guys and not enough places to put them. What a great problem to have. Although I think with Backlund, Raymond and Jones on the team we will never have to "worry" about having a fully healthy lineup. Love Backs but can't ignore his history.

[heep223]

Jooris stays and plays. Byron plays and probably more than 4th line minutes. That's all I know for the "fringe" guys. Seto absolutely has to and will get sent down and clear waivers.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Seto has been outplayed by every Adirondack player called up. He'll be sent down to waivers.

[robbie111]

Originally Posted by robbie111
What I'd like to see:
Call up Poirier
trade Bollig, Raymond and Glencross if he will waive for as much defense prospect help as possible.

Colborne-Monahan-Hudler
Gaudreau-Granlund-Ferland
Baertschi-Jooris-Byron
Bouma-Backlund-Poirier
Stajan McGrattan

What I think we will get:

Raymond-Backlund-Hudler
Gaudreau-Monahan-Colborne
Glencross--Granlund-Jooris
Bollig-Bouma-Byron
Stajan McGrattan

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Trading Raymond and Glencross for an unproven (in the NHL) Poirier would be really poor asset management.

Poirier plays RW he would be replacing Raymond. With the start of the season Raymond had I think he would be likely to help bring in a fairly good defensive prospect to stick in the AHL and help with the rebuild. Colborne would move to LW on the top line and get Glencross minutes. Glencross might nab you a 3rd or a 2nd round pick if he agrees to waive his NMC and free up a roster spot for Sven but only if Sven earns it by then. I love the speed of the current lineup. Don't think there is another NHL team currently that would match up with the speed and yes I know Raymond is fast but so is Poirier. Still lots of fun to be a fan right now and I am incredibly impressed with the culture on the team and the development curve Flames prospects have shown so far.

[FlameZilla]

It is actually a serious log jam. I don't see how you could demote one of Granlund, Ferland, Jooris or Baertschi based on current play. A couple will have to be demoted once the others are healthy unless there are some trades made.

[Gaskal]

Glencross - Backlund - Raymond
Gaudreau - Monahan - Colborne
Baertschi - Granlund - Hudler
Bouma - Jooris - Byron/facepuncher (depending on team)

Giordano/Brodie
Russell/Wideman
Smid/Engelland

Pressbox: Diaz/Facepuncher/Byron
Injured: Jones, Stajan
Returned to AHL: Reinhart, Ferland
Waivered: Setoguchi

[Savvy27]

Gaudreau - Monahan - Colborne
Raymond - Granlund - Hudler
Glencross - Backlund - Bouma
Baertschi - Jooris - Byron

[DOOM]

Has there been any update on Jones?

[Drury18]

Originally Posted by DOOM

Has there been any update on Jones?

We will probably get one tomorrow. I believe today was an off day for the Flames due to the fundraising event this afternoon.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Byron is an NHLer, he's not getting scratched.

Sven also needs to stay up.

Glencross should be relegated to the 3rd/4th line at this point. Most of the youngsters have proven far more valuable and would be a bad message to send down granlund/jooris/baertschi based on the last few games.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by robbie111

...Poirier plays RW he would be replacing Raymond. With the start of the season Raymond had I think he would be likely to help bring in a fairly good defensive prospect to stick in the AHL and help with the rebuild. Colborne would move to LW on the top line and get Glencross minutes. Glencross might nab you a 3rd or a 2nd round pick if he agrees to waive his NMC and free up a roster spot for Sven but only if Sven earns it by then. I love the speed of the current lineup. Don't think there is another NHL team currently that would match up with the speed and yes I know Raymond is fast but so is Poirier. Still lots of fun to be a fan right now and I am incredibly impressed with the culture on the team and the development curve Flames prospects have shown so far.

I am as excited about Poirier as anyone and have been one of his biggest boosters on this board since the day he was drafted. But the kid has played a grand total of eight professional games, and he is not even 20-years-old. There is NO REASON to add him to the NHL lineup this year, and without question the best thing for him at this point is to log big minutes and play a full season of pro hockey. He will stay in the AHL this year. Next year? He should be a fixture in Calgary along with Sam Bennett. The Flames' offense is going to be lights out next year.

I am a little surprised to see McGrattan in virtually every proposed lineup so far. If there is one player who makes a less useful contribution, I can't find him. McGrattan is not as good a player as Setoguchi, and Setoguchi has clearly proved to be not good enough to crack this lineup. Waive them both. Trade one or both if you can. But I think both are finished in the NHL.

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

McGrattan is not as good a player as Setoguchi,

Disagree, Setogouchi's stats are worse. But yes they are both done in the NHL.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

Glencross-Monahan-Colborne
Raymond-Backlund-Jones
Gaudreau-Granlund-Hudler
Bouma-Stajan-Jooris

Pressbox: Byron, Bollig, McGrattan

Returned to AHL: Reinhart, Ferland, Baertschi

Waived: Setoguchi

Byron is a great penalty killer and energy player. There is no way in hell he sits in the press box!

[Where ru Chris O'Sullivan]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Glencross - Backlund - Raymond
Gaudreau - Monahan - Colborne
Baertschi - Granlund - Hudler
Bouma - Jooris - Byron/facepuncher (depending on team)

Giordano/Brodie
Russell/Wideman
Smid/Engelland

Pressbox: Diaz/Facepuncher/Byron
Injured: Jones, Stajan
Returned to AHL: Reinhart, Ferland
Waivered: Setoguchi

I don't see how Backs returns to the 1C with Monahan continually improving. Don't know what awaits Colburn, but doubt that both gaudreau and Sven play ahead of Byron? Jooris isn't going to play 7 mins, so its either top 3 lines or Addy?

[Kidder]

I'm surprised by those willing to ship out Raymond so easily.

The man loves the Flames and signed an attractive deal to play here. He's delivered on all fronts, and was one of our better players before going down to injury. Why are would be eager to flip him?

Also Backlund. Yes he does have a history of injury, but we have watched him blossom into a top centreman over half a decade, and yet now he's replaceable/expendable cause some rookies stepped up in his absence?

The Flames are a better team with these players in the lineup. Simple as that. Let's enjoy the success as it happens and not worry about how to shuffle the depth in the unlikely event we become fully healthy.

All this said, trade Glencross. ;p

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by AcGold

Disagree, Setogouchi's stats are worse. But yes they are both done in the NHL.

This is an instance in which the statistics do not tell the whole story. The reason why McGrattan's plus/minus is better (the only stat of his as far as I can see that could be considered better) is because there are only an extremely limited number of in-game situations in which he can actually play. Setuguchi has been in more games, logged substantially more ice time, and played in more situations which have affected his own numbers. By virtue of the fact that he is a passable skater, he is already a better player than McGrattan, because at least Setoguchi can then theoretically log a regular shift in a game. McGrattan cannot.

To be clear, both are not NHL players. McGrattan likely never will be one again, but at least Setoguchi has the raw materials to perhaps one day fid his way back.

[Neeper]

Originally Posted by Kidder

I'm surprised by those willing to ship out Raymond so easily.

The man loves the Flames and signed an attractive deal to play here. He's delivered on all fronts, and was one of our better players before going down to injury. Why are would be eager to flip him?

Also Backlund. Yes he does have a history of injury, but we have watched him blossom into a top centreman over half a decade, and yet now he's replaceable/expendable cause some rookies stepped up in his absence?

The Flames are a better team with these players in the lineup. Simple as that. Let's enjoy the success as it happens and not worry about how to shuffle the depth in the unlikely event we become fully healthy.

All this said, trade Glencross. ;p

Agree with everything. Raymond is not going anywhere and Backlund is an extremely important cog.

I would love to see Glencross traded, but I doubt he'd waive so we're stuck with him.

Anyone who doesn't have Byron in their lineup is nuts. The guy is a mainstay on this team, end of story.

[JJ1532]

I'm also surprised by people wanting to flip Raymond. I would have him as our second veteran winger behind Hudler and get rid of Glencross personally.

I think the Flames have 2/3 hard decisions to make and they are: Do they send Sven down? Because if they do, I have the feeling this could be the final nail in his coffin. He seems like a confidence player who needs to be loved. I think if he goes back to Addy, that will be the final straw for him and we may well see a trade request slapped in.

This is my roster:

Raymond-Monahan-Colborne
Gaudreau-Backlund-Hudler
Byron-Jooris-Baertschi
Bouma-Stajan-Glencross

Press box: Bollig, Granlund

Send Reinhart and Ferland back down to Addy for a start. Then, I really would waive Jones, McGrattan and Setoguchi, not that doing it to the latter is controversial in any way.

We have Bollig and Engelland as our fighting guys if necessary, so McGrattan is surplus to requirements. Setoguchi, well nuff said. Jones has improved and is producing, but I just think all 4 of our injured players are better than him and when push comes to shove, he has to be the one to make way. He is the one that is easily the most replaceable. Unless of course you want to go for trades involving Glencross or Stajan.

Glencross on the 4th line isn't ideal, but I can't see anywhere to slot him. I think Raymond along with Hudler is the best sniper at the club, so he has to go on the top line. I don't think its a stretch to say that had Raymond been fit for the whole season, he would easily be our top goalscorer at this point. His goalscoring, Colbornes creativity and Monahans all round game would make a complete first line I think.

Johnny and Hudler stay together with the returning Backlund on the second line. Then, if Backlund goes down again, Granlund draws in to replace him. The 3rd line is playing too well together to split up now. A nice combination of speed, energy and creativity, plus all 3 could pinch a goal you feel. As I said above, I'd also be worried about sending Sven down. 4th line, Stajan and Glencross probably wouldn't take kindly to only playing 7-ish minutes a night, but others have passed them in the system. They can go with the productive Bouma and add some grit to the bottom line. Also, if they step on the ice with our 3rd defensive pairing, I'd wouldn't be so worried as i am when those 2 combinations(4th forwards and 3rd defenders) are on the ice together at the moment.

So like I said, the decisions they have to make are: How far down the pecking order does Glencross go? Does he fall as far as the 4th line?

Do you risk sending Sven back down and that finishing him mentally with the Flames?

Do you look for trades involving Glencross or Stajan, because there is a real log jam developing and when deciding which log needs to be removed to solve the blockage, those 2 are the first 2 I'd pick. Oh and all that being said, this problem will likely not develop too much because as these players return, others will get injured, so as to leave us most probably 14 fit bodies at most out of the 18/19 odd we have in and around the system at the moment.

[devo22]

Waive Setoguchi (no brainer) and send down Reinhart (4th line minutes in CGY vs top line minutes in Addy ... I prefer the latter for him at the moment) and Ferland (needs to get back to speed after his concussion). That frees up 3 spots and given our recent injury history, I doubt we'll need more. There'll NEVER be a time when all are healthy at the same time.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Glencross - Backlund - Raymond
Gaudreau - Monahan - Colborne
Baertschi - Granlund - Hudler
Bouma - Jooris - Byron

Giordano/Brodie
Russell/Wideman
Smid/Engelland

Pressbox: Diaz/Facepuncher
Injured: Jones, Stajan
Returned to AHL: Reinhart, Ferland
Waivered: Setoguchi

I really liked these (edited) lines, but realized that Bollig is missing. As much as I'd like to see the team start sitting Bollig and McGrattan, it doesn't seem to fit their MO, and I suspect that meant Baertschi goes back down.