Feaster credibility with fan base on the line

[Southside]

If we're being intellectually honest, the answers are not in the room. Will Feaster be fooled again? Will we be buyers, sellers or hiding under the table as trade deadline approaches? I think and hope that realities set in and this team moves some pieces for the future. I also think this is where we really find out what Feaster is made of. Perhaps a poll is in order, buyers, sellers or fortune tellers?

[Dr. Doom]

Feaster's fate will be decided in the next couple of weeks, bank on it.

This road trip will put the nail in our coffin (despite most of us already knowing its there). But after this road trip, something happens...

I do believe the inevitable is being worked on - that is Iginla to Pittsburgh. I imagine most of Feaster's concentration needs to be on that move right now. A little worried that he won't have the focus to land additional deals and/or if he does they aren't for the same type of return.

But regardless he will be graded conclusively on this trade deadline, and pitchforks are waiting at the end...

[flambers]

Flames will once again try to "Buy" at the trade deadline.... Challenge is they have very few assets.

I doubt the Ownership will approve of the concept of Selling.. (i.e. Iginla and Bouwmeeter etc).

My guess, Flames will stand pat.

[Vinny01]

This team can do itself so many favours by selling and tanking. This team can be rebuilt at the draft. Acquire picks and NHL ready prospects for our aging stars, get MacKinnon, open up cap space and make deals at the draft and sign ufa's. there will likely be an larger pool of free agents and available players due to buyouts and teams trying to fit in the cap

Don't screw this up flames it is only 20 more games. Get what we can for our players and get a top 5 pick in the draft

[Yoho]

The obvious, is much more obvious this year. No way management ignores the public opinion, and the fact that they are becoming the the Washington Generals of the NHL (complete with background music on CBC)

Deals, Deals, Deals to come

[North East Goon]

The worst part of it all for myself, is that I have zero faith in this hockey administration to make the right calls. Time will tell I guess.

[Jackpot_Smooth]

I think calgary would be hard to finish lower than florida. I wouldn't be suprised to see nothing done at the deadline.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Jackpot_Smooth

I think calgary would be hard to finish lower than florida. I wouldn't be suprised to see nothing done at the deadline.

Sadly, I think this is what will happen. I just don't see management having a fire-sale and selling off our assets. This team is such a tease and as long as we straddle the .500 line, I just don't see the team doing the right thing.

My heart wants the team to play hard and try to squeak out wins every night.
My mind says that this has to be the year we sell off everything and short term pain will equal long term gain.

The idea of a rebuild scares everyone in the city. But I think once we get over the hump and actually make serious changes, it will be a sigh of relief that the light at the end of the tunnel is there.

[Poe969]

I know what I think they should do but I'm not in charge, neither are any of you. We may all say they should seell. Heck ever fan could demand a rebuild but if the people in charge don't look at us being 25th in the league but look at only being 6 points out of 8th, I could see them dealing our first rounder for someone like Ribero or Statsny.

I think Feaster wants to "build a winner" instead he's going to be stuck with a wiener.

[MisterJoji]

As most, I'd prefer to be sellers at the deadline, but if Feaster/King/Edwards insist on wanting try to sneak into the playoffs, I won't be happy, but can tolerate it as long as our 1st rounder isn't in play. Our drafting and development has appeared to be immensely improved and if they trade a potential 4-8 pick overall (1st with a stroke of luck) for a 33 year old Center (Ribeiro) or a 27 year old Center who hasn't cracked the 60 point barrier in almost 4 years (Stastny), I will lose my mind.

[IntenseFan]

To my view, the fan base is actually on the line if we continue to aspire to (and attain) the same mediocrity of the past 3 seasons. At the end of the day, that is what will cost the fan base - constant finishes for years of 9-12.

I think ownership quite underestimates the fan base and its tolerance for a re-build. That said, they clearly have an agenda that requires the Flames to be "competitive" even if they can't make the playoffs. In this short season, however, they are generally not "competitive" particularly on the road.

Whatever the answer may be, it is pretty clear now it is not with this group of players. So logically they MUST be sellers at the deadline. But I seriously doubt that will happen as I believe Feaster is still under orders to make a major acquisition, either for this year or the next. He will likely fall short yet again, the Flames will stand completely pat at the deadline and at the draft and we will have another year of mediocrity to aspire to.

Kind of sad.

EDIT: Only my 5th post in the Fire on Ice Forum this season. Apparently my interest as a fan is already pretty much over the line.

[ComixZone]

1. Seth Jones
2. Jonathan Drouin
3. Nate MacKinnon - yes please
4. Aleksander Barkov - yes please
5. Valeri Nichushkin
6. Darnell Nurse
7. Sean Monahan
8. Elias Lindholm

Feaster's "credibility" rests on who he gets out of these players.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

The worst part of it all for myself, is that I have zero faith in this hockey administration to make the right calls. Time will tell I guess.

Well, a few weeks ago, Feaster was willing to trade our 1st rounder for Ryan O'Reilly... so you should be afraid.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Well, a few weeks ago, Feaster was willing to trade our 1st rounder for absolutely nothing... so you should be afraid.

fyp

[Stanley]

Hearing how Ken King said he sees the fans still very supportive of our on-ice product despite a rocky season thus far pretty much says it all. Or maybe I'm reading into that too much, but really I'll be shocked if the Flames make any significant moves at the deadline, particularly as sellers. I'll see flying pig-elephants in the sky before I see them trading Jarome Iginla.

[Buff]

I would have no problem with the theory of tweaking a little bit each year to make the playoffs and to buy at the deadline to hope for a good playoff run, instead of just going for a burn it to the ground type of rebuild. However, I don't think it is wise to do this when your cupboard is bare and you aren't even in the playoff picture, and haven't been for a few years.

How long do you try to put the square peg in the round hole until you finally realize that a different option is required?

[IntenseFan]

Originally Posted by Buff

How long do you try to put the square peg in the round hole until you finally realize that a different option is required?

So far? Since 2005/06 with no sign of any epiphany yet...

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

This team can do itself so many favours by selling and tanking. This team can be rebuilt at the draft. Acquire picks and NHL ready prospects for our aging stars, get MacKinnon, open up cap space and make deals at the draft and sign ufa's. there will likely be an larger pool of free agents and available players due to buyouts and teams trying to fit in the cap

Don't screw this up flames it is only 20 more games. Get what we can for our players and get a top 5 pick in the draft

The bolded part is what i would like to see the flames do. My gut tells me this is the last thing they would do.

I could see them standing pat if they are 4 points or less out of 8th. Not sure why they would do that with 60% of games on the road in April?

If they were actually in 8th spot, i could see them trading our 1st to try and secure the 8th spot. Again not a good move.

If they are sellers, my gut tells me that they are going to be looking for players in the 25-27 range. I could see them passing up on ready now prospects with a slightly higher ceiling, or firsts, for 2b/3a line NHL players in the 25-27 range. If flames go this route, they will fight for 8th spot for the next couple of years with the only difference being a younger team.

[gargamel]

The first order of business needs to be sitting down with Iginla and either giving him an extension or finding out which teams he'd be willing to be traded to.

Once that's taken care of, I'm fine with any moves that don't involve trading any of our key prospects or making our draft outlook worse unless we're getting young talent back in return.

[Jackpot_Smooth]

I seem to recall whe feaster first came in he said that he isn't the guy for a rebuild and he was here to win now. Something along those lines anyways.