Center Ice Position NEEDS to be Addressed!

[dammage79]

With Backlund down sadly yet again, that leaves the Flames with one and a half centers.

It doesn't really matter if the team ends up being sellers or buyers between now and the trade deadline they needs to address this problem. If they do make a playoff push they're too shallow in depth when it comes to dealing with the big teams. If they're out of it, gotta get one for next year and onward as well.

Hoping this forces their hand early and can get some help via trade and won't be too gun shy to move some wingers or D regardless of their play the last two games.

[Sakari]

[Dion]

Perfect opportunity for Cervenka to step up and show the Flames that he deserves another contract at seasons end.

[Roof-Daddy]

Blues have:

Steen
Backes
Berglund

...down the middle, as well as 38 year old Nichol as a solid 4th line option at center.

I would love it the Flames could pry Vladimir Sobotka away from the Blues.

25 years old, signed for one more year at $1.3 cap hit (RFA), plays with tons of energy and has some offensive upside.

Oh, he's also a career 54% in the face off dot (1500+ draws)

[Sakari]

I hate how someone who was just starting to play center is getting scratched.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

We can't attract a centre because we don't have any assets. We don't have any assets because we can't attract a centre. We can't attract a centre cause we don't have any assets. We don't have any assets cause we can't attract a centre....................

[dammage79]

Obvious thread needed to obviously be made.

I was thinking Mueller out of FLA. Healthy all year so far with 12 points and is UFA at the end of the season. FLA will likely be the first seller this year so why not try to snatch him up.

[Hells Bells]

Originally Posted by Sakari

I hate how someone who was just starting to play center is getting scratched.

You're right.

Cervenka certainly looks like he never played C before.

[Buff]

Clearly it doesn't need to be addressed. If it did, Feaster would have done it already because making moves are super simple. Don't you think we wouldn't already have Crosby, Bergeron, Ott and Guastad up the middle if our depth at center was a concern? Please, when you are an NHL GM come back and talk to Feaster.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Obvious thread needed to obviously be made.

I was thinking Mueller out of FLA. Healthy all year so far with 12 points and is UFA at the end of the season. FLA will likely be the first seller this year so why not try to snatch him up.

Mueller is playing the wing.

Speaking of FLA though, Marcel Goc and Jerred Smithson would be solid pick ups for a 3rd/4th line role, to help defensively and in the face off dot.

[nik-]

Hopefully through the draft. Stop trying to fix this window and start building a new window.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Hoping this forces their hand early and can get some help via trade and won't be too gun shy to move some wingers or D regardless of their play the last two games.

No sense making a trade unless it's significant, IMO, and never make a significant trade because your hand is being forced.

If a significant trade didn't make hockey sense this morning, don't do it now just because of a temporary injury to Backlund.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by Mike F

No sense making a trade unless it's significant, IMO, and never make a significant trade because your hand is being forced.

If a significant trade didn't make hockey sense this morning, don't do it now just because of a temporary injury to Backlund.

Have you travelled from some kind of alternate reality in which the Flames were fine at centre before Backlund was injured?

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by dammage79

With Backlund down sadly yet again, that leaves the Flames with one and a half centers.

It doesn't really matter if the team ends up being sellers or buyers between now and the trade deadline they needs to address this problem. If they do make a playoff push they're too shallow in depth when it comes to dealing with the big teams. If they're out of it, gotta get one for next year and onward as well.

Hoping this forces their hand early and can get some help via trade and won't be too gun shy to move some wingers or D regardless of their play the last two games.

Just curious, if the Flames do become sellers, what does it matter how many centermen we have?

[foofighter15]

If Feaster drafts anything but the best available Centre in the first round when the pick gets to him I am going to go on a rampage of epic proportions.

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Mueller is playing the wing.

Speaking of FLA though, Marcel Goc and Jerred Smithson would be solid pick ups for a 3rd/4th line role, to help defensively and in the face off dot.

Agreed. If we are buyers it might be best to do a preemptive strike and work a deal with Fla for one of the above, but no draft pick involved, only a b grade prospect (Howse, Nemisz).

Another name out of Fla that would be intriguing is Fleischmann. Talk is that Fla wants to move him amongst others that have term on their contract. Believe we could pull a Booth like deal and trade an expiring contract (Cervenka, Babchuk) for him and absorb the term. He played C with the Avs so he's at least an option.

[Bertuzzied]

Blah. Centres are overrated in todays NHL. 1 is enough!

[Puppet Guy]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Blah. Centres are overrated in todays NHL. 1 is enough!

are you Jay Feaster?

[bubbsy]

getting top line centers, is going to be impossible, considering we aren't really sellers.

maybe the flames should try to get a solid 3rd line, shutdown type center (like a yelle) to get a tough to play against, face off/possession checking line.

We have 2-3 second line guys (backlund, stajan, cervenka) but nothing like a top line center, or checking line center, let's address the easier one for now?

[Northendzone]

We are thin at centre? When did this happen?