Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Should the Flames trade up or trade down once they get healthy?

gvitaly · 11-12-2014, 02:07 PM

The Flames' current injury bug has proven that they have more than 23 NHLers on contracts. It gives the Flames' managment both a position of strength and a possible headache when it comes to reducing the roster. The simplest solution would (of course) be to return to the roster we had on opening night. However, it simply doesn't fit the policy of "Always earned, never given", which is key to the Flames' identity. This situation will most likely create an interesting opportunity for roster moves. The common* scenarios are either to trade a veteran player for future gain or to package a few players to upgrade the roster. As a result, I was wondering how do you think the Flames will(or should) proceed?

It seems like a simple enough question, but the beginning of the season makes this team into a huge question mark. Why? because the team seems more than the sum of its parts. Many players are exceeding expectations made at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, here it becomes an argument of what came first the chicken or the egg-- is this team over performing because of the individual players getting hot, or are they playing well because of the team as a whole? If its the former we could trade a player whose value is at an all time high compared to last season, but can we do it without disrupting chemistry? (Also, there is always the cap floor to consider and be careful of).

On the other hand if we start trading veterans will the kids be able to sustain their play without being somewhat sheltered? Moreover would bringing in an established skilled player benefit the team more despite the cost?

The Flames really find themselves in a unique situation**, somewhat of a crossroad if you will. I was wondering which path do you think the Flames will take?

My personal opinion is that the Flames can wait and see for now, wait for the right deal. A deal where they come up on top simply because of their flexibility. The Flames will become less and less flexible the closer the season gets to the trade deadline. I just hope that the management won't miss this golden opportunity by indecisiveness.

Please let me know what you think. Seems like an interesting discussion to have especially on a 2 day break from (Flames') hockey.

Salary Cap Chart

*I know they are quite black and white for simplicity's sake. I agree there is a lot of grey in between.

**The Flames currently have 19 forwards, that once healthy will need to be reduced to 12 forwards + 2 bench warmers. On defense Wideman's offense probably increased his value from last year by leaps and bounds. However the most interesting situation stays at center with Backlund, Monahan, Colborne, Stajan, and Granlund all playing like top 9 centers.

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EDIT:
Great discussion guys! I just wanted to thank everyone for all the answers. I wanted to take it one step further so...

Many of you mentioned who we should consider trading, in particular various players that will not be a part of the 'future'. Meanwhile, not many posts touchup on improving the performance of this team during this season. As a result, I was wondering what returns do you think the Flames should be looking for? Should the Flames concentrate on picks and prospects(especially on defense)? Or perhaps maybe look for an upgrade over one of our top 6 forwards that can be the triggerman on the PP?

Also, this team indeed shows flickers of hope for the first time in a while. It has been a while since the word playoffs was more than a remote whisper in Calgary. So would it be considered a losing mentality trading our top veterans despite that success?

A good GM will know exactly how and when sacrifice and upgrade pieces that are a part of our team. Lucky for me is that I am not such thing, so I don't have to deal with all those difficult decisions. Instead I ask everyone here

11-12-2014, 02:07 PM	#1
gvitaly Franchise Player Join Date: Jul 2010 Exp:	Should the Flames trade up or trade down once they get healthy? The Flames' current injury bug has proven that they have more than 23 NHLers on contracts. It gives the Flames' managment both a position of strength and a possible headache when it comes to reducing the roster. The simplest solution would (of course) be to return to the roster we had on opening night. However, it simply doesn't fit the policy of "Always earned, never given", which is key to the Flames' identity. This situation will most likely create an interesting opportunity for roster moves. The common* scenarios are either to trade a veteran player for future gain or to package a few players to upgrade the roster. As a result, I was wondering how do you think the Flames will(or should) proceed? It seems like a simple enough question, but the beginning of the season makes this team into a huge question mark. Why? because the team seems more than the sum of its parts. Many players are exceeding expectations made at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, here it becomes an argument of what came first the chicken or the egg-- is this team over performing because of the individual players getting hot, or are they playing well because of the team as a whole? If its the former we could trade a player whose value is at an all time high compared to last season, but can we do it without disrupting chemistry? (Also, there is always the cap floor to consider and be careful of). On the other hand if we start trading veterans will the kids be able to sustain their play without being somewhat sheltered? Moreover would bringing in an established skilled player benefit the team more despite the cost? The Flames really find themselves in a unique situation*, somewhat of a crossroad if you will. I was wondering which path do you think the Flames will take? My personal opinion is that the Flames can wait and see for now, wait for the right deal. A deal where they come up on top simply because of their flexibility. The Flames will become less and less flexible the closer the season gets to the trade deadline. I just hope that the management won't miss this golden opportunity by indecisiveness. Please let me know what you think. Seems like an interesting discussion to have especially on a 2 day break from (Flames') hockey. Salary Cap Chart I know they are quite black and white for simplicity's sake. I agree there is a lot of grey in between. The Flames currently have 19 forwards, that once healthy will need to be reduced to 12 forwards + 2 bench warmers. On defense Wideman's offense probably increased his value from last year by leaps and bounds. However the most interesting situation stays at center with Backlund, Monahan, Colborne, Stajan, and Granlund all playing like top 9 centers. ********************************************** ***************** EDIT: Great discussion guys! I just wanted to thank everyone for all the answers. I wanted to take it one step further so... Many of you mentioned who we should consider trading, in particular various players that will not be a part of the 'future'. Meanwhile, not many posts touchup on improving the performance of this team during this season. As a result, I was wondering what returns do you think the Flames should be looking for? Should the Flames concentrate on picks and prospects(especially on defense)? Or perhaps maybe look for an upgrade over one of our top 6 forwards that can be the triggerman on the PP? Also, this team indeed shows flickers of hope for the first time in a while. It has been a while since the word playoffs was more than a remote whisper in Calgary. So would it be considered a losing mentality trading our top veterans despite that success? A good GM will know exactly how and when sacrifice and upgrade pieces that are a part of our team. Lucky for me is that I am not such thing, so I don't have to deal with all those difficult decisions. Instead I ask everyone here Last edited by gvitaly; 11-13-2014 at 12:18 PM.