[News] Flames do not qualify RFAs Chiasson, Culkin, and Morrison. Do qualify Wotherspoon

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

A player like chaisson should never be on a multi year deal in my opinion. This is how you end up with Bouma and Stajan making a combined salary over 5M per year.

Not entirely fair, considering Chiasson isn't getting that kind of money. In general I think 2 years isn't that bad for a depth forward, depending on the situation.

With the Backlund extension, and Ferland and Bennett needing new contracts we'll likely soon have 8 forwards signed beyond next season. If we re-sign Versteeg that's sure to be at least 2 seasons, and Lazar might get 2 seasons simply because he'll be at his cheapest right now.

Chiasson getting something like 2x1.4M would not be that likely to become a problem, but I doubt Treliving wants that many guys on multi-years.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Sure 1 cheap vet would be fine. The idea would be to have your younger players getting some NHL icetime so they're getting ready to eventually play more when needed. I don't think anyone expects these guys to jump straight into top 4when needed.

I don't want Bartowski with the big club, he should be in the AHL. He had his moments but mostly he was pretty bad last year.

Bartowski as the # 7 guy is fine unless Kulak doesn't win the #6 spot and needs to be waived to go to the AHL. Then I would send down Bartowski instead and keep Kulak as the #7, but preferably you want your prospects to be playing and not sit in the press box for long periods of time.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

How? We have 2 pairs that will go up against any teams top 2 lines, essentially the Kulak-Andersson pair will play sheltered minutes against 3rd/4th lines. Play more at home with last change then on the road etc. I don't see how they can't play against Kase/Wagner/Shaw or any Arizona or Las Vages line or Cagguila/Letestu/Kassian etc. Similar forward they'd be going up against in the AHL.

This is the best time to break them in, with 4 heavy lifters they can develop at the NHL level.

I want 5-7 be Kulak/Andersson/Wotherspoon. Kulak and Wotherspoon have spent enough time in the minors. Andersson had an outstanding year in the AHL last year, time for promotions. Also, if they don't graduate then you start a logjam at the AHL level too.

I think the top four do give you a chance to break in two young defenseman, but I'd still add a veteran 6 to the mix to have an option of spelling them off. Gulutzan would have to abandon his left/right thing for the third pairing, but a guy that can play both sides and not take up a tonne of cap space would be great.

Then you get all three playing 55 games or so.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I really liked Grigorenko in his draft year, but it seems he has never taken a step forward in his development. Whether that is because his skill-set was not translatable to the NHL to begin with, that he has poor attitude issues, or that perhaps Buffalo rushed him and possibly stifled his development - I am not sure.

For 'free', sure, let's see if there is something there. I wouldn't bet on it, and I would hate for the organization to spend assets finding out.

[locsofblu]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

A player like chaisson should never be on a multi year deal in my opinion. This is how you end up with Bouma and Stajan making a combined salary over 5M per year.

15 goals last year so if it were close to league minimum why in the hell not.

[Since1984]

Originally Posted by locsofblu

15 goals last year so if it were close to league minimum why in the hell not.

As much as I disliked Chiasson last year, I totally agree with you. By the end of the season when he was slotted in to the proper 4th line winger role he played excellent. Chiasson on a 2 year league minimum or 1.5 million is easy enough to bury. The real question is, how much is he willing to take?

[Funkhouser]

Originally Posted by locsofblu

15 goals last year so if it were close to league minimum why in the hell not.

He had 12 goals, and most of those he was able to achieve with PP time and top six minutes. If he was bottom six all year like he should have been, he probably would have had 8 or less goals.

Put Hathaway or Lomberg in his place and you will replace those ~10 goals and get someone who is a pest/hits/etc.

[PepsiFree]

I like Hathaway's game over Chiasson's on the 4th line. Don't see a need to bring him back.

[StrykerSteve]

Even without Chiasson and Versteeg, I still hate the way the forward lines are constructed. That 4th line is still making 10M/yr, which is bonkers. Until they do something about that, I just don't see how successful the team can truly be.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Ferland
Tkachuk - Backlund - Frolik
Bennett - Jankowski - Lazar
Bouma - Stajan - Brouwer

The 4th line should actually be Klimchuk - Hamilton - Hathaway. Cheap, effective and versatile.

[IrishSpring2013]

Originally Posted by StrykerSteve

Even without Chiasson and Versteeg, I still hate the way the forward lines are constructed. That 4th line is still making 10M/yr, which is bonkers. Until they do something about that, I just don't see how successful the team can truly be.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Ferland
Tkachuk - Backlund - Frolik
Bennett - Jankowski - Lazar
Bouma - Stajan - Brouwer

The 4th line should actually be Klimchuk - Hamilton - Hathaway. Cheap, effective and versatile.

bouma and stajan are ufa's after this season.. so it may just be a stomach it for one more year type situation.. hopefully troy bounces back...

it would be nice to see if stajan or bouma could bring back a couple of draft picks.. stajan for a 3rd/4th bouma for a 5th/6th but maybe they sit on the roster or atleast bouma is waived and bollig's it in the minors for a year...

[StrykerSteve]

Originally Posted by IrishSpring2013

bouma and stajan are ufa's after this season.. so it may just be a stomach it for one more year type situation.. hopefully troy bounces back...

it would be nice to see if stajan or bouma could bring back a couple of draft picks.. stajan for a 3rd/4th bouma for a 5th/6th but maybe they sit on the roster or atleast bouma is waived and bollig's it in the minors for a year...

That's the crux though. If you bury these guys, they lose any potential value they might have. If you keep them up, you hurt the team. And if someone like Brouwer excels, he can't displace someone higher up in the lineup unless they are struggling.

In my proposed lineup, Bennett is playing wing (which I'm not a fan of) rather than Center and Jankowski is being gifted a spot. How long does Ferland last on the top line before GG gives him the hook? All things that may or may not actually happen. I just find it tough to slot everyone properly in this lineup. /shrug

[Itse]

Originally Posted by StrykerSteve

That's the crux though. If you bury these guys, they lose any potential value they might have.

Unless Bouma has a big comeback year, I don't think there's any value there that can be lost. Stajan isn't much better off.

That said, it only makes sense to bury them if there's an immediate need for that cap space.

[IrishSpring2013]

there is no crux.. if u bury them it means they passed thru waivers and have no value...
stajan is still a positive on this team.. his cap hit is just too high
if brouwer excels he can still displace any right wing on the team sans frolik.. lazar isnt somekind of 3rd line lock...

maybe tkachuk plays his off wing on the 1st line and bennett or jankowski slides in LW with backlund and the other plays center..

[cannon7]

Wotherspoon was a top three defenceman in the AHL this past season. Anyone who wrote him off did so prematurely.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by StrykerSteve

That's the crux though. If you bury these guys, they lose any potential value they might have. If you keep them up, you hurt the team. And if someone like Brouwer excels, he can't displace someone higher up in the lineup unless they are struggling.

In my proposed lineup, Bennett is playing wing (which I'm not a fan of) rather than Center and Jankowski is being gifted a spot. How long does Ferland last on the top line before GG gives him the hook? All things that may or may not actually happen. I just find it tough to slot everyone properly in this lineup. /shrug

I like your suggestion of playing Jankowski with Bennett. Hopefully they find chemistry. Jankowski's playmaking ability could shine on that line, whether at centre or wing. Lazar has the speed to keep up.

[Fire]

Chiasson is like Colborne last season. People were disappointed the Flames didn't qualify and re-sign him, especially after he signed a reasonable deal with the Avalanche. In the end the Flames didn't miss him at all and Colborne was garbage.

[Locke]

I cant think that I'm the only one getting tired of Wotherspoon. I mean, I want the best I hope hes the next Giordano but theres no evidence that hes even an NHLer.

It seems like the only time I see his name is in Waiver threads.

[Machiavelli]

Originally Posted by Locke

I cant think that I'm the only one getting tired of Wotherspoon. I mean, I want the best I hope hes the next Giordano but theres no evidence that hes even an NHLer.

It seems like the only time I see his name is in Waiver threads.

I've been done with him for a few years now

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

I've been done with him for a few years now

Hes been around forever and done nothing. Just throw the guy a bone and trade him to a team where he might at least play?

[DJones]

At the very least he's a very good AHLer.

Why wouldn't they qualify him. A couple injuries happen or the rookies struggle we'll be thrilled to have him.

Him and Engellend were just a terrible pair. Too similar