Friedman's 31 thoughts - January 23

[sureLoss]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/3...rade-deadline/

Flames related:

9. Calgary was on the lookout for a winger, but the Flames are pulling back. Micheal Ferland’s got 19 goals, Michael Frolik is getting healthy and there is increasing hope Kris Versteeg will be an option, too.

Also kind of interesting because I think Coyle would be a good fit on the Flames, but obviously price is always a concern:

8. One under-the-radar player who gets asked about quite a bit: Minnesota’s Charlie Coyle. I’m told that’s not a new occurrence, and GM Chuck Fletcher gets these calls every year. So, my sense is it’s happening (again) recently. Fletcher wouldn’t comment, but I’m under the impression it would take a heck of an offer to make him even think about it. Coyle hasn’t scored as much as people thought, but he’s a physical presence who can play multiple positions, protect the puck and make you work for every inch.

[Travis Munroe]

Coyle sounds like what was expected of Brouwer

[TheScorpion]

Excellent that Versteeg might be looking to return. This team needs a more steady presence on that 4th line, Lazar, Mangiapane, and Hrivik are too inconsistent

[Ozy_Flame]

And we need a PP specialist in the worst kind of way right now.

[Otto-matic]

Is there any update on Jagr? Is he still in town? Strange no one is reporting him skating on his own or anything.

[Vinny01]

If the Flames keep scoring only 1 goal a game I don’t see them pulling back for long

[Toonage]

I get that there is a desire to see Versteeg back on the PP but this also means we get the Versteeg-Stajan-Brouwer line back.

I'd like to see the Flames look elsewhere to cure their PP woes. I know Versteeg is popular, and he did contribute but now he'll be coming off hip surgery and being dropped into a playoff push.

[manwiches]

I love this quote

Semi Flames related

23. There is one line of questioning that never failed, until I got into the Colorado room. When Joe Nieuwendyk played in Toronto, his roommate was Matt Stajan, playing his first full NHL season. The Hall-of-Famer told a great story: that Stajan hoarded the TV remote and forced him to watch totally hilarious garbage like The Fifth Wheel.

So, whenever I find out guys have roommates, I immediately ask who hogs the remote and how bad their TV choices are. It always, always, always results in one player burying another — until I met JT Compher and Tyson Jost. Each took equal ownership of the remote and equal blame for bad TV choices. (They like The Bachelor.) This kind of roommate respect is very disappointing.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

Is there any update on Jagr? Is he still in town? Strange no one is reporting him skating on his own or anything.

If it is indeed his groin that was the issue, skating would be the last thing he would be doing to re-hab.

I think his time is done here or anywhere else based strictly on his foot speed when he was healthy. His legs finally gave out.

[cross16]

Hearing about Frolik/Versteeg returning is encouraging, but gut reaction is they are pulling back because prices are high and they don't have the assets to make a deal like that.

unless of course they want to include their top prospects but I don't think they do/ don't think it would be smart.

[sa226]

The Flames simply don't have picks to trade, and the ones they do have, they shouldn't be trading. Unless a team is interested in our 2nd rounder for 2025, then I just don't see much going on for this team come trade deadline day.

How many significant trades over the years for decent players didn't include draft picks?

To me, the only trades available for the Flames would be roster Dman and\or roster forward traded for upgraded roster forward. I don't think a team with playoff aspirations makes that big of a shakeup at the deadline. At the draft, sure.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

If the Flames keep scoring only 1 goal a game I don’t see them pulling back for long

Yep, the team has a problem - and if they don't address, it will cost them.

The Flames are 21st in GF per game. There's one playoff team below them (Columbus), and a handful of non-playoff teams ahead of them.

This team does not score enough goals. Not 5v5, not 5v4.

You can either look at the roster and think it's to blame, or you look at the system and lay the blame there. Or a mixture of the two, but there's no escaping the fact that this team does not produce enough offence. We didn't produce enough with Versteeg and Frolik, and we don't produce enough without them.

[TheoFleury]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Yep, the team has a problem - and if they don't address, it will cost them.

The Flames are 21st in GF per game. There's one playoff team below them (Columbus), and a handful of non-playoff teams ahead of them.

This team does not score enough goals. Not 5v5, not 5v4.

You can either look at the roster and think it's to blame, or you look at the system and lay the blame there. Or a mixture of the two, but there's no escaping the fact that this team does not produce enough offence. We didn't produce enough with Versteeg and Frolik, and we don't produce enough without them.

The Flames lack the assets to address the offence in any meaningful way. Without picks to use as bait, how would the Flames compete with other bidders? The only option that I can see is to either trade prospects, which they can't really afford to do with the lack of picks in the upcoming drafts, or to trade a roster player like Brodie or Hamonic for a player with some term left on his deal. But that's robbing Peter to pay Paul with the way our D has been performing, unless a guy like Andersson is actually ready.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by TheoFleury

The Flames lack the assets to address the offence in any meaningful way. Without picks to use as bait, how would the Flames compete with other bidders? The only option that I can see is to either trade prospects, which they can't really afford to do with the lack of picks in the upcoming drafts, or to trade a roster player like Brodie or Hamonic for a player with some term left on his deal. But that's robbing Peter to pay Paul with the way our D has been performing, unless a guy like Andersson is actually ready.

There is not enough room in the organization for all of Andersson, Kylington, Fox and Valimaki. Given our RHD situation, signing Fox may even become an issue - who knows.

One or two of these prospects will likely be traded, and they should hold considerable value.

[TheoFleury]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

There is not enough room in the organization for all of Andersson, Kylington, Fox and Valimaki. Given our RHD situation, signing Fox may even become an issue - who knows.

One or two of these prospects will likely be traded, and they should hold considerable value.

You're probably right but the Flames won't/shouldn't be counting their chickens before they hatch. If they trade one or two of Andersson, Kylington, Valimaki or Fox, they are significantly reducing the chances of finding an NHLer among their current prospects. Knowing the Flames luck, they would trade the one who ends up making it and keeping the three that don't.

[Alpha_Q]

Originally Posted by transplant99

If it is indeed his groin that was the issue, skating would be the last thing he would be doing to re-hab.

I think his time is done here or anywhere else based strictly on his foot speed when he was healthy. His legs finally gave out.

The day after Gulatzan was on Rome he was on the 960 morning show, about 8:15. When talking about team depth, Gulatzan mentioned players coming back from injury or coming up from Stockton might be their 'deadline acquisitions.' He explicitly mentioned the possibility of Jagr returning "depending upon Jagr's knee." Your point stands, of course, regarding skating, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him back.

[jlh2640]

Maybe we should sign Jarome already then. The guy is dynamite in the room, PP, and is physical presence on a 4th line role. . . . . .

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by jlh2640

Maybe we should sign Jarome already then. The guy is dynamite in the room, PP, and is physical presence on a 4th line role. . . . . .

Pass, same problem as Jagr, can't keep up in the NHL and his hands were gone, he was never a good enough defensive guy to play on the fourth line.

Let Iginla retire with honor, why have him come back and everyone's last memory of him will be like Jagr's?

"He's done"

[Corral]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Pass, same problem as Jagr, can't keep up in the NHL and his hands were gone, he was never a good enough defensive guy to play on the fourth line.

Let Iginla retire with honor, why have him come back and everyone's last memory of him will be like Jagr's?

"He's done"

my guess (or hope?) is he signs with Boston and shows you he wasn't quite done yet.

[Caged Great]

Personally, I am hoping that the Flames trade one of the D for a top forward. The drop from one of the top 4 to Andersson is not as big a thing as the difference from a legit top winger over the players the Flames have.