[News] Bouma, Byron, and Jooris and 20 other players file for Salary Arbitration

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

They surely can. NHL teams have the ability to walk away in Player-Elected Salary Arbitrations.

no they can't walk away from player elected if the salary is less than $3.5 million

they also can't walk away from club elected salary regardless of the amount

[JohnnySkittles]

Didn't this happen last season with Bouma too? Not exactly a great sign

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by JohnnySkittles

Didn't this happen last season with Bouma too? Not exactly a great sign

Bouma did not have arbitration rights last season.

The Flames did not qualify Byron last season because they didn't want to get stuck in arbitration.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by JohnnySkittles

Didn't this happen last season with Bouma too? Not exactly a great sign

no. Only one Flame filed for arbitration last year, and that was Joe Colborne. They reached a deal prior to the hearing though.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

http://www.silversevensens.com/2015/...efresher-guide

so we can't buy out Raymond or Engellend under this, but potentially Jones, Stajan or Hiller.

Not sure we would buy those three out as we could probably could trade them each for something.

Raymond would be at risk though if he was eligible.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

I like Byron as a 13th or 14th forward, but at this point Ferland and maybe even Shore are more useful in a bottom-6 role. I'm sort of wishing the Flames hadn't qualified Byron.

[thymebalm]

I don't see arbitration being a big deal at this point. If you've earned the right to leverage it, and you think it'll help your contract, then do it.

I doubt the Flames will actually go to arbitration with any of these three.

[azzarish]

None of those 3 are getting more than $3.5m so the Flames won't be walking away.

I think Bouma is probably looking for about $2.25m and looking at what he brings to the team you can actually make a case for paying that.

[GranteedEV]

I was glad when all three were qualified, and I'm glad that now we have a deadline in place for their next contracts. All three are very valuable complementary players.

[btimbit]

I honestly wouldn't have been too upset if the Flames didn't qualify Byron. However, what's the best deal he could get out of arbitration? I don't think that that one is much to be concerned about.

Bouma, I LOVE. I got a Bouma jersey late last season. I want him to be a Flame for life. Really hoping a deal is done before the hearing.

I like that there's a deadline to get a deal done vs biting my nails into August like last year

[Sylvanfan]

So Bouma now can't receive an offer sheet right?

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Pierre "Monster" McGuire

I like Byron as a 13th or 14th forward, but at this point Ferland and maybe even Shore are more useful in a bottom-6 role. I'm sort of wishing the Flames hadn't qualified Byron.

He's still an asset. I could see him passing through waivers and being a good call up when injuries happen. Someone may pick him up or he could be included in a trade. He's cheap, we can afford him and Hartley seems to like him so why not keep him.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

So Bouma now can't receive an offer sheet right?

Yes. Players who elect to go to salary arbitration cannot sign an offer sheet.

[jayswin]

I'm a little surprised at the sentiment towards Jooris, we're so flakey and weird as hockey fans.

We'll spend years following prospects, clinging on to their every development, hoping they'll one day be good enough to be an NHL regular. I mean look right now, we're talking about over 15 prospects that we're all pegging as such and such potential, and HOPEFULLY they can reach it.

But for some reason as Flames fans, it's like as soon as a player makes the NHL, they actually lose a bunch of respect and worth in our eyes, lol.

"OMG, that guy killed it in camp, came in and earned an NHL spot, he's now one of our best prospects!!!!"

"Oh wow, Jooris is now scoring a bunch of goals at the NHL level, this is like found money, so versatile too!"

*off season comes in and fans get excited about upcoming prospects

"Oh Jooris, yeah that guy's old hat, he's alright I guess"

"Meh, lots of guys like him, easily replicable"

"We've got prospects coming up, sure you can say he was injured, but the truth is he's just not that great".



Meanwhile we're about to go into full geek mode hoping and praying for our prospects to turn out, but we lose perspective that a good portion of our prospects would be HUGE successes if they could reach the player Josh Jooris has become.

C'mon guys, lets not become HFboards here, where picks and prospects are viewed as infinitely more valuable than actual NHL hockey players all the time.

Perspective

[GranteedEV]

I could get the argument against Jooris if he wasn't putting up over two minutes a game of penalty killing time for the Flames in the playoffs. He was second among forwards on the whole team after only Stajan in total PK time. And that was with Jooris being scratched for the last two games against the Ducks with Bouma's return instead of being moved to RW, because Hartley thought Mason Raymond and Brandon Bollig's "veteran experience" would be more valuable (and we lost those last two games in chokey fashion, with Raymond and Bollig playing less minutes than Jooris would have).

I could get the argument against Jooris if he didn't have the best backcheck against Marchand ever to save the game against Boston that we ended up winning.

I could get the argument against Jooris if he wasn't one of the strongest possession players on the Flames. But he's overwhelmingly one of the best possession players on the Flames.

I could get the argument if Jooris wasn't a strong faceoff guy, but he went a solid 48.7% in the regular season which was better and then won 28 of 53 in the playoffs as a rookie.

I could get the argument if Jooris wasn't one of the best players on the team at winning puck battles in the corners. But he is. Which is what made him such a good fit on that Gaudreau/Hudler line in the first place.

I could get the argument against Jooris if plays visibly died on his stick. But they didn't. Second half of the season though, they didn't really get to his stick in the first place, because plays died on his linemates' sticks. Glencross, Colborne, Raymond... what do these guys have in common?

It's basically "Jooris didn't finish the season on a point scoring tear, therefore he's invisible". You do need point scorers, but just because a player isn't scoring points doesn't mean they're invisible. And sometimes, being invisible is a sign a player, especially a depth player, is doing something right.

Jooris is sort of a "poor man's Frolik", that also happens to be a RH shot and can play centre. We signed Frolik not for his point scoring but for his intangibles... remember Treliving's speech on Frolik's intangibles? He said you WIN with players like that. Having more of them doesn't mean you only play one of them at a time. Giordano, Brodie, Byron, Frolik, Jooris, Backlund... that's how you build a strong possession team that has the puck. By having the puck, you give Monahan, Gaudreau, Hudler, Bouma, Bennett opportunities to use their talent in the offensive zone instead of wasting them blocking shots. And yes, I just called Lance Bouma a talented offensive player... he proved it last year to me.

[Huntingwhale]

I hope we keep Jooris. He may have leveled off at the end, but he was a rookie. I'm not sure how that makes his expendable like some people have suggested. Some people forget he'll be a sophomore next season. He had 4 GWG, a hat trick and was generally a spark plug out there. He played a pretty decent roll is helping the team make the playoffs. He actually has finish on his breakaways and plays a gritty 2-way game. All from out of no where.

He's absolutely someone we should be keeping.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Pierre "Monster" McGuire

I like Byron as a 13th or 14th forward, but at this point Ferland and maybe even Shore are more useful in a bottom-6 role. I'm sort of wishing the Flames hadn't qualified Byron.

I have always been one of Byron's biggest supporters. I think he is extremely versatile, moving up and down the lineup as well as all 3 positions, as well as bringing speed to the lineup.

However, Frolik is essentially the same player, but bigger and more productive.

So now I am more indifferent towards Byron. But I don't have a problem with them qualifying him.

[Enoch Root]

Listening to people talk about Bouma always amazes me. I think he is one of the most under-rated players on the team.

Give the guy a decent salary (3 x $2-2.5Mish) and get him back out there already!

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I could get the argument against Jooris if he wasn't putting up over two minutes a game of penalty killing time for the Flames in the playoffs. He was second among forwards on the whole team after only Stajan in total PK time. And that was with Jooris being scratched for the last two games against the Ducks with Bouma's return instead of being moved to RW, because Hartley thought Mason Raymond and Brandon Bollig's "veteran experience" would be more valuable (and we lost those last two games in chokey fashion, with Raymond and Bollig playing less minutes than Jooris would have).

I could get the argument against Jooris if he didn't have the best backcheck against Marchand ever to save the game against Boston that we ended up winning.

I could get the argument against Jooris if he wasn't one of the strongest possession players on the Flames. But he's overwhelmingly one of the best possession players on the Flames.

I could get the argument if Jooris wasn't a strong faceoff guy, but he went a solid 48.7% in the regular season which was better and then won 28 of 53 in the playoffs as a rookie.

I could get the argument if Jooris wasn't one of the best players on the team at winning puck battles in the corners. But he is. Which is what made him such a good fit on that Gaudreau/Hudler line in the first place.

I could get the argument against Jooris if plays visibly died on his stick. But they didn't. Second half of the season though, they didn't really get to his stick in the first place, because plays died on his linemates' sticks. Glencross, Colborne, Raymond... what do these guys have in common?

It's basically "jooris didn't finish the season on a point scoring tear, therefore he's invisible". You do need point scorers, but just because a player isn't scoring points doesn't mean they're invisible. And sometimes, being invisible is a sign a player, especially a depth player, is doing something right.

Jooris is sort of a "poor man's Frolik", that also happens to be a RH shot and can play centre. We signed Frolik not for his point scoring but for his intangibles... remember Treliving's speech on Frolik's intangibles? He said you WIN with players like that.

Excellent analysis of Jooris. Fans tend to just see points, and a player like him having a brutal wrist injury to end the season will basically bring him to "meh" status in their eyes.

It's why the GM's GM, the coaches coach and the fans fan.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

I hope we keep Jooris. He may have leveled off at the end, but he was a rookie. I'm not sure how that makes his expendable like some people have suggested. Some people forget he'll be a sophomore next season. He had 4 GWG, a hat trick and was generally a spark plug out there. He played a pretty decent roll is helping the team make the playoffs. He actually has finish on his breakaways and plays a gritty 2-way game. All from out of no where.

He's absolutely someone we should be keeping.

It's truly baffling when you think about it. Replaceable? Sure, we could replace him with someone else who may be able to do what he did. But expendable? That just shows a complete lack of understanding of the player, and the goal of filling out rosters with internal, role players.

He's a living example of the type of player teams NEED to draft and develop to become contenders. The minute you start looking at a stat sheet and tossing aside players like Jooris, is the minute you find yourself on your way to becoming a team that has star players making star money and then has to fill your bottom six with garbage, has been free agents.