[Article] A Look at the Calgary Flames' Very Confusing Offseason
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It is clear that the Calgary Flames don't have a direction- they're off the map and hoping to find a well of water at some point, and this is no way to run a hockey team. If a team can't decide how to properly fill the 5/6/7 defensive spots, how can they decide if they need to sell parts (which in part they've already done) or if they need to acquire veterans for a "Cup run" (which they've also already done)?
Well the writer started out okay but then seemed to forget to flesh out what is confusing about the Flames' offseason. The only two reasons I seemed to get were the NMC/NTC thing and the glut of "bottom pairing defensemen with offensive upside".
I think the plan is obvious; move forward this season with the team that seemed to finally get it together in the final 2/3's of the season, then take advantage of some cap relief next summer in the free agent market. The Regehr trade was necessary to make the space to keep last year's roster intact.
I can understand not liking the plan, but I don't think you can say there isn't one.
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If a team can't decide how to properly fill the 5/6/7 defensive spots
In years past when we went into training camp and it was clear because of contracts or experience level as to who would make the team, everyone complained because the young guys weren't being given a chance. Now they have a couple spots open for the young guys to compete for and they're still complaining. Make up your mind or shut up.
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Very poor article basically rehashing all of the lemmings at Calgarypuck. Not only that but it being 8 weeks until training camp, I recently decided myself that my urge to write an article about the offseason was vastly premature.
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well, there are fair points brought up with regard to not having slots filled.
With all due respect, what team would fill their 5,6 and 7th slots with unproven players? especially if your top 4 is JayBo, Gio, Sarich and Babchuck?
really? i guess the pejorative of "lemmings" can be directed in both directions
mea culpa - I wasn't a supporter of the Feaster hire...so am an skeptical of the moves thus far...with the exception of the draft, which seemed pretty good.
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Last edited by oldschoolcalgary; 07-17-2011 at 09:24 AM.
well, there are fair points brought up with regard to not having slots filled.
With all due respect, what team would fill their 5,6 and 7th slots with unproven players? especially if your top 4 is JayBo, Gio, Sarich and Babchuck?
really?
mea culpa - I wasn't a supporter of the Feaster hire...so am an skeptical of the moves thus far...with the exception of the draft, which seemed pretty good.
Personally I see no issue with the Flames depth, or specificially using young players such as (see below) in the 5-6-7 spots.
Its about time they use young players in these roles instead of the 33 or 34 year olds in the 5 - 6 spots.
Well the writer started out okay but then seemed to forget to flesh out what is confusing about the Flames' offseason. The only two reasons I seemed to get were the NMC/NTC thing and the glut of "bottom pairing defensemen with offensive upside".
I think the plan is obvious; move forward this season with the team that seemed to finally get it together in the final 2/3's of the season, then take advantage of some cap relief next summer in the free agent market. The Regehr trade was necessary to make the space to keep last year's roster intact.
I can understand not liking the plan, but I don't think you can say there isn't one.
The final 2/3's? I think you are really stretching it there. They played great for two months and then fell apart down the stretch. At one point this team managed to climb all the way up to 4th in the West after their terrible start and then they collapsed, finishing 10th. That is hardly a sign of them "getting it together" in the last half of the season. They basically do the exact same thing every year. Start off poorly, dig themselves into a hole, climb out with some great play, then finish the season with mediocre hockey. In the past though, they at least managed to back into the playoffs. I'm not sure why some of you guys can't see this.
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Just becasue these players are unproven does not mean they can't be solid dman (i.e. Buter or Carson or Brodie or Breen)
thats an awful lot of exposure that we are putting on young/inexperienced players.
And you are leaning heavily on a dubious 2nd pairing of Sarich and Babchuck to play significant minutes. The distribution of ice time is going to be skewed early and depending on how long the 5,6 and 7 slots take to get up to speed, it could make for a very difficult transition.
don't discount all the energy that the top pairing is going to have to expend to shore up the inexperience in the bottom pairing with their ice time; it could come back to haunt them later in the season.
July 1st 2012 Calgary Flames UFA's
Daymond Langkow
Niklas Hagman
Olli Jokinen
David Moss
Brendan Morrison
Tom Kostopoulos
Raitis Ivanas
Tim Jackman
Cory Sarich
9 players
15.6 million in Salary/Cap Space.
A lot of expiring contracts next years, two that have been bigger ticket and long term (Langkow, Sarich). Feaster is giving this team one more year.
If the Flames don't make it they have plenty of good chips to ship off at teh deadline for picks.
__________________ I honestly see a 600+ goal scorer in him. And 1300+ points.
-Hfboards.com member and Oiler fan s7ark speaking about Rob Schremp.
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A lot of expiring contracts next years, two that have been bigger ticket and long term (Langkow, Sarich). Feaster is giving this team one more year.
If the Flames don't make it they have plenty of good chips to ship off at teh deadline for picks.
But also some of this...
Quote:
Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary
thats an awful lot of exposure that we are putting on young/inexperienced players.
In the sense that I think you are starting to see a "Feaster-type of team" instead of a "Darryl Sutter-type of team". One invests likely more so in offence,at the expense of defence, whereas one did the exact opposite at times.
What's confusing to me is how so many self glossed hockey minds can't see what's going on.
This team entered the offseason with almost an entire team stilll signed for the next season ahead, cap room is the first and most important asset to either rebuild or retool an NHL team which we have to wait until next offseason for. So Feaster is going to put together a semi competitive team to keep butts in the seats until we get flexibility next season to make changes to this team.
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What's confusing to me is how so many self glossed hockey minds can't see what's going on.
This team entered the offseason with almost an entire team stilll signed for the next season ahead, cap room is the first and most important asset to either rebuild or retool an NHL team which we have to wait until next offseason for. So Feaster is going to put together a semi competitive team to keep butts in the seats until we get flexibility next season to make changes to this team.
Yup this is exactly the way I see it too. I would also add that this team isn't not interested in a "burn it to the ground" re-build so that's why a guy like Tanguay is signed long-term - they see him being part of the "re-tool".
July 1st 2012 Calgary Flames UFA's
Daymond Langkow
Niklas Hagman
Olli Jokinen
David Moss
Brendan Morrison
Tom Kostopoulos
Raitis Ivanas
Tim Jackman
Cory Sarich
9 players
15.6 million in Salary/Cap Space.
CapGeek has the Flames with just 12 players under contract for the 2012-13 season, if the cap stays at 64.3 mill, the Flames have 41.6 mill committed, 22.6 mill available.
I don't see a rebuild coming at all. I don't think this ownership group wants any part of a rebuild and if they did, I don't think Feaster would have been the GM to lead them through it.
I believe Jay has done his best to try to move other contracts that are holding this team back but hasn't found any takers, to no surprise. I still think there will be at least one forward sent packing to free up more cap just in case they are in a position to add throughout the season (trade deadeline, etc.) but for most part, Jay will make his major changes next offseason.
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CapGeek has the Flames with just 12 players under contract for the 2012-13 season, if the cap stays at 64.3 mill, the Flames have 41.6 mill committed, 22.6 mill available.
I don't see a rebuild coming at all. I don't think this ownership group wants any part of a rebuild and if they did, I don't think Feaster would have been the GM to lead them through it.
I believe Jay has done his best to try to move other contracts that are holding this team back but hasn't found any takers, to no surprise. I still think there will be at least one forward sent packing to free up more cap just in case they are in a position to add throughout the season (trade deadeline, etc.) but for most part, Jay will make his major changes next offseason.
I agree with this 100%, I wasn't suggesting we were in for a firesale, just this is the reason why we haven't seen wholesale changes this off season.
__________________ I honestly see a 600+ goal scorer in him. And 1300+ points.
-Hfboards.com member and Oiler fan s7ark speaking about Rob Schremp.
What's confusing to me is how so many self glossed hockey minds can't see what's going on.
This team entered the offseason with almost an entire team stilll signed for the next season ahead, cap room is the first and most important asset to either rebuild or retool an NHL team which we have to wait until next offseason for. So Feaster is going to put together a semi competitive team to keep butts in the seats until we get flexibility next season to make changes to this team.
That's an excellent post and exactly what I feel Feaster is doing.
I just hope that there's a good crop of FA to select from next summer.
Win this year....prove last season from Decemeber on wasn't a fluke........OR...........BIG changes are coming.
We already know it wasn't a fluke and the result of them playing well against bad teams. Since the schedule isn't made up of all non-play-off teams no reason to think that the Flames will have a similar record over the whole season to what they did during the super soft part of the schedule.
[Article] A Look at the Calgary Flames' Very Confusing Offseason
