[CaptainCrunch]

With 26 games left to go and the Flames 9 points out of a Wildcard pot and 12 points out of a divisional spot and at least 4 teams to pass the only thing that can be said about the Flames is



The rest of the season is now really about three things

1) Pride - I don't have any doubts that this team is going to try to find its pride and its will to fight and work on building up the culture for next year. At this point no matter what the Flames are in the lottery and with the way that things are going will probably be picking top 5 or 6th.

2) Maybe starting to audition players for next year - Look Hiller was given the ball since Ramo went down and sadly he not only dropped it, but did that stumble kick thing that we all do when we try to pick stuff up and sent that ball careening into the middle of a busy highway where it was crushed by a semi.

So now you if you're Bob Hartley and Brad Treliving with the goaltending and with Russell being shut down for a while and with Smid out have an opportunity to do some try outs.

3) Look to next year's roster.


So first

I'm sitting in Brad's office, I'm wearing one of his fine Saville Row suits and he's tied up in the basement, that's right, I'm running the team.

First of all with the trade deadline coming up, I'm going to be looking at making changes to the bottom of the team. Now you'll notice I didn't say goaltending.

Goaltending trades aren't part of my priority list, if something reasonable comes up where I can get what I see as a long term solution or even intermediate solution I'll make that move. But this season is lost, and I'm not going to grab a guy like Bernier for example.

In fact I'm going to make a call to Bob and in my best Brad Treliving voice say "Bob, we need to ride Ortio, Hiller is done you can see it in his play, and since I have no intention of resigning him, he can sit on the bench". We need to know if Ortio is part of the future or not. If he loses the next 26 games and has a 9.00 gaa and a .210 svpct at least we know that he's done here.

In terms of the trade deadline, my main goal is shedding salary for next year, because I have a long summer of negotiations ahead of me when Money, Johnny come to the table.

I also know that teams cannot have enough depth defensemen for playoff runs so I know that my low value moves are based around Engellend and Smid. The way I figure it, both of those guys are going to get you low value draft picks back and you're going to have to eat salary to increase their value.

So I'm looking at the real contenders and telling them that I'm willing to move these guys and eat 25% of their salary in exchange for 4th round picks. Frankly I think Engellend has value for a playoff team. I doubt that Smid does mainly due to injury issues.

I know I'm not going to be able to move Wideman anymore.

I definitely move Russell and Huder. My starting point with Hudler is a 1st round pick, I doubt I'll get that, so I'll be willing to sail him for a 2nd round pick and a average prospect. I do believe that Hudler has increased his deadline trade value and right now he's the best forward available.

Since GM's have been calling about Russell, I move him, I think that if he's demanding 5 million or more per year its too much for a second pairing guy with his skill set. But I hold fast in a bidding war with him and try to get a 1st round pick or a 2nd round pick with a average prospect.

Wideman is untradable this year. I might be tempted to push him to the farm and try to move him this summer for very little and taking back some salary.

Ok, I can no longer trade a goalie this year because of the injury to Ramo.

Raymond is untradable and I don't want to absorb his salary long term. But I try to move him for a club sandwich.

If I can move Stajan for a 3rd and a shorter but poor contract back, I do it. I love Stajan but its time to move on from his. I think that some teams might want to bring him in to mentor their young kids and he's a stabilizing person in your bottom 6, he's just not a good fit for our bottom 6

I think that a guy like Bouma also has value in the league, I just think that he needs a change of scenery. If I can move him and get a second or a decent prospect, I'm all over that, otherwise I keep him.

David Jones needs to go as well, he's an upcoming UFA, and I bet I can send him to a playoff team for a 3rd

BecauseI need a top 6 rw and and 2 defensemen. I bring up Kulak and Wotherspoon and Grant and Kenny Agostino and let them treat this as a training camp enticement. I also bring up Freddie Hamilton, cause why not. Poirier has to come up and start proving that he's developing.

So right now after the deadline hopefully my lineup is going to be


JH Bennett Frolik
Ferland Mony Colborne
Bolling Backland Poirier
Agostino Granland Hamilton

Jooris

Blueline

Brodie and Gio
Hamilton Nak
Wotherspoon and Kulak

Wideman when he returns


Goalies

Ortio
Hiller

Then over the summer, I look at my RFA's

I try to deal Jooris if I can, but he's not getting qualified, he's terrible.
I qualify Colborne and try to sign him to a 2 year deal without much of a raise.
I qualify Granlund as well and try to sign him to a one or two year prove me deal

Now chances are this team is going to plummet, but at least I'm going to see what this team is made up of, and we go into the off season with some play space depending on what Mony and JH are going to get.

My priority in the summer.

Depending on what we draft.

Shore up the bottom 6 with guys from the farm.

Take a run at Reimer goaltending wise, because there's not much free agency wise outside of him.

Find a bottom 6 agitator physical presence

Then I hang up Treliving's suit and place the tape recorder and hacksaw in the closet with him.