Francis: Flames left Brouwer exposed. Ferland, Lazar & Bennett protected.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

They gave up a second round pick for Lazar. Jokipakka was more or less a throw-in...

Whoever ends up with the best player wins the trade. I think Ottawa gave up on Lazar too soon. Having him on a line with Matthew Tkachuk would be insane.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Whoever ends up with the best player wins the trade. I think Ottawa gave up on Lazar too soon. Having him on a line with Matthew Tkachuk would be insane.

To be fair to Ottawa, I think they acknowledged that Lazar wasn't progressing and that they moved him to give him a better chance somewhere else. They saw him as more than just an asset and were willing to take the hit on his value to give him a chance somewhere else.

[dino7c]

I'm not really worried about losing any of these guys...kinda nice.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Whoever ends up with the best player wins the trade. I think Ottawa gave up on Lazar too soon. Having him on a line with Matthew Tkachuk would be insane.

FWIW, the reports of Jokipakka leaving for Europe were false.

[Backlunds_socks]

Inconsequential who wenlose

[FireGilbert]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I'm not really worried about losing any of these guys...kinda nice.

Yep, the Flames will likely be one of the teams least impacted by expansion. Very good planning by Treliving.

[djsFlames]

Finger admittedly crossed for Brouwer. Sorry Troy, but without that bloated cap hit the Flames might just be able to go out and get a productive player for that #1RW slot.

As of the end of the season, he was barely worthy of getting a regular roster spot. That money could be much better spent.

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Finger admittedly crossed for Brouwer. Sorry Troy, but without that bloated cap hit the Flames might just be able to go out and get a productive player for that #1RW slot.

As of the end of the season, he was barely worthy of getting a regular roster spot. That money could be much better spent.

Would you trade Brouwer and our first for Neal, Marchassaultt or some other option out there.

What is that first really worth? A gimmie? I think so.

[djsFlames]

If Vegas' management are looking at Brouwer's resume up until last season, he could be seen as a guy with value. Was a useful player in Washington and St. Louis. Problem was he was going to retire in Calgary after hockey supposedly, so when the Flames signed him, he basically went into early retirement upstairs and decided to coast through the year instead of bringing any element of the of player he was touted to be.

If Vegas needs to help to get to that cap floor and wants to add a guy that has the potential to rebound and give them some scoring and leadership, then he might be a guy for them. I'm sure getting taken out of Calgary would be a wake up call for him.

[djsFlames]

[QUOTE=MrMike;6291888]Would you trade Brouwer and our first for Neal, Marchassaultt or some other option out there.

I don't think #16 in this draft will get you a high impact guy that can enter your lineup in the near future, so I would strongly consider it, yes.

Neal would make the Flames a meaner team and add scoring, attributes that the top 6 needs more of. Take a little bit of attention off Tkachuk to let him do his rough stuff a little more under the radar. Would be a great add.

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

If Vegas' management are looking at Brouwer's resume up until last season, he could be seen as a guy with value. Was a useful player in Washington and St. Louis. Problem was he was going to retire in Calgary after hockey supposedly, so when the Flames signed him, he basically went into early retirement upstairs and decided to coast through the year instead of bringing any element of the of player he was touted to be.

If Vegas needs to help to get to that cap floor and wants to add a guy that has the potential to rebound and give them some scoring and leadership, then he might be a guy for them. I'm sure getting taken out of Calgary would be a wake up call for him.

I never looked at it that way, but wow do I ever agree with you.

I can see Brad playing a poker game with Vegas in not showing his hand that he wants them to take Brouwer, because as soon as he says take him he will say "well what will you give me to take him?" Kinda thing

[devo22]

I think it'll be either Brouwer or Stajan. Either way, the expansion draft is not going to "hurt" the Flames ... Stajans leadership and veteran presence is nice to have, but he's also overpaid and Jankowski should be ready to step in. Losing the 16/17 Brouwer also wouldn't be a huge loss.

Not fussed about losing Shinkaruk or Kulak. Every team will expose a few prospects of that calibre.

My "hope" would be Brouwer for sure.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

They have the Free Agent market to top up team salary.

Yes, but there is a minimum they must hit from the expansion draft specifically. If I remember correctly, it is about $42M. They can't just take 30 prospects.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

There is no way Vegas is just going to take Stajan. You guys are not thinking. You have one chance to take a free asset and you think they'll just waste it?

They'll either take an asset with long term benefit, or they leverage a team into providing an asset with long term benefit.

Like if they wanted Stajan they could just trade their 7th round pick for him. They don't need to waste an expansion pick....

This implies that the Flames would agree to trade Stajan for a 7th, which is ludicrous. Stajan is a roster player until such time as someone (Jankowski) actually takes that spot from him. We are all waiting for that to happen, but it is not a certainty at training camp.

Also, Stajan has real value heading into the trade deadline. He is a functional C with leadership skills. He is probably worth a 3rd at the deadline. So trading him for a 7th would be foolish.

I think Stajan is who Vegas takes for three reasons:

1) he's a C, which will be the least-available position in the draft
2) he comes pretty cheap, having a salary that's lower than his cap hit
3) only one year left, so he can be flipped a the deadline for another asset (likely of more value than anything available on the Flames' expansion list)

[sureLoss]

I think the rumored deal that will have Chicago send Kreuger to Vegas makes it less likely they will take Stajan.

[TheFlamesVan]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Neal would make the Flames a meaner team and add scoring, attributes that the top 6 needs more of. Take a little bit of attention off Tkachuk to let him do his rough stuff a little more under the radar. Would be a great add.

Neal adds scoring and dirtiness. Toughness and meanness are not in his skill set.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

I think the rumored deal that will have Chicago send Kreuger to Vegas makes it less likely they will take Stajan.

Obviously it is tough to say with the potential for trades outside the draft portion but do you have a sense of what centres may be picked by Vegas?

By my thinking they need to pick at least 3 centres in the draft and I foresee plekanec being one of them.

Your thoughts?

[Stay Golden]

Treliving has done a smart job preparing for this expansion draft. We will lose no impact player due to who's contracts expire and who was left available. I am good with losing any of tbe players under contract that will be unprotected.

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by TheFlamesVan

Neal adds scoring and dirtiness. Toughness and meanness are not in his skill set.

Neal is a Brouwer who can finish. Which is kind of what we hoped Brouwer would be.

[Sylvanfan]

If Vegas is taking Clarkson's contract from CBJ via trade, add Fleury, Murray, Vaatanen, and Krueger in the leaked deals. They can take 25 prospects and make the cap floor.