If you were GM of the Flames...

[ben voyonsdonc]

To determine the direction of the Flames going forward, I think we have to answer the following questions:

- What are the strengths of the team right now?
- What are the obvious weaknesses?
- Do you draft for a position player or for the best available player?
- Do you fill the weaknesses of the team via existing AHL/drafted players or by signing new free agents?
- Which free agents, if any, should be targeted?
- Where should we be with regards to the salary cap next year?
- How long do we anticipate the rebuilding process taking based on our existing assets? Do we aim for a 2 year, 3 year, 5 year plan?
- Is our coaching as good as it needs to be?
- Do you see any existing Flames that can be traded for an asset or two?

Lots of questions but I'm sure that CPers have the "intellectual honesty" to answer them. I'm sure that there are even more questions that I haven't yet thought of. Look forward to hearing your thoughts!

[ben voyonsdonc]

I'll share my thoughts:
- Our strengths right now lie with small talented players like Hudler, Backlund, Baertschi. I still think that Giordano is a top two pairing D-man.
- Obviously we have a lot of holes on our team. We don't have a first line centre and haven't had one in years. Backlund is probably a decent 2nd line centre and Stajan is a good 3rd line centre. Lack of size is a big one. We don't have a good stay at home defenseman who brings stability to our D. Goaltending is a huge question mark.
- When you have a lot of holes it is hard to draft for a position but if we can get a 1st line centre obviously we have to go for it. If we aren't in the top 5 in the first round, I think we have to draft the best available player.
- I think we should avoid using free agency as a way to patch up the holes on our team. I think D. Sutter used free agency to patch up holes but I think it acted as a detriment to our young players. I say give the young guys a chance to play next year. We can use next year as an evaluation year to see what we have.
- I think we should see a rebuild as a three year process and I don't like trying to accelerate it too much via trade and free agency.

[devo22]

- What are the strengths of the team right now?
Skill and hockey IQ among our prospects, you could see that the scouting department has put an emphasis on this. Character especially in the bottom six.

- What are the obvious weaknesses?
We lack size in the top 6. Center is a position of need, as always. We need a real blue-chip prospect for once. We have plenty depth on the blueline, but no outstanding prospects for the top pairing (I don't see Brodie as a prospect any more). Goaltending depth is fine, but Ramo and Berra are question marks, obviously.

- Do you draft for a position player or for the best available player?
BPA in the first round, unless you're stacked in one area with a glaring need in other areas (like EDM last draft). In later rounds you can mix it up a bit.

- Do you fill the weaknesses of the team via existing AHL/drafted players or by signing new free agents?
both. You need to use all the tools you have available in your toolbox.

- Which free agents, if any, should be targeted?
Filppula would be a nice stop gap down the middle. Bickell or Clarkson would be enticing too.

- Where should we be with regards to the salary cap next year?
I expect us to be somewhere between 45 and 50 million. We're at 45 according to Capgeek right now, but if Kipper retires, that's another 5.8m off the books. Backs and Brodie are due to raises ... we'd still need a few bucks to even reach the floor though. With 1 or 2 UFA signings we'll hopefully be in the position to be able to trade pending UFAs like Stajan or Cammalleri at the deadline if we want to.

- How long do we anticipate the rebuilding process taking based on our existing assets? Do we aim for a 2 year, 3 year, 5 year plan?
in terms of making the playoffs again? 3 years.

- Is our coaching as good as it needs to be?
Tough to say ... I like Hartley. He has had a reputation of being hard on rookies and young players, but he seems to be on board with the youth movement and seems to do fine as a motivator. So far, I'm happy. It's a more exciting brand of hockey than Sutter hockey, so that's a positive. Also give him credit for reviving Bouwmeester, that allowed us to get substantially more in the trade than what was rumoured to be STLs offer last June (D'Agostini + 2nd).

- Do you see any existing Flames that can be traded for an asset or two?
Cammalleri and Stajan should have decent value at the trade deadline. Maybe Tanguay, but I doubt it. There'd be a lot of suitors for Gio and Glencross, but I don't see it happen.

[ben voyonsdonc]

One positive from this year we've seen some nice improvements when it comes to discipline. I'm not sure that we can attribute that to coaching or if it is because we just aren't a physical team and don't end up taking those penalties that come with being really physically involved. Hopefully, we can become a more physical team next year. I think we might see a spike in penalties if we do.

[Savvy27]

- What are the strengths of the team right now? Offensive D
Skilled top 9 F
LW

- What are the obvious weaknesses?
Defensive D
Goaltending (going forward)
First line F
Size F + D
Grit
Faceoffs
RW

- Do you draft for a position player or for the best available player?
BPA (though if it is close I would prefer a C)

- Do you fill the weaknesses of the team via existing AHL/drafted players or by signing new free agents?
For size and grit in the bottom six, I want to see Reinhart and Bouma on the team next season.

- Which free agents, if any, should be targeted?
I have some interest in Nathan Horton as we are so weak on RW and he has size and skill. I was reading up on him on Bruins fan sites and he has taken a big step back in his physical game since the concussion. He missed nearly a full season so it is possible that he can bounce back but that is a red flag. I would offer him an overpayment in exchange for a shorter contract (2 years).

Regehr: I would inquire to see if he can be brought back to play a shutdown/pk role. He is post-apex and has lost a step but the pickings are slim and our team needs to toughen up on the back-end big time.

Scuderi: I've been watching him when LA is on and he is a very solid D who has won cups in PIT and LA. Not a top pair guy, but he can add leadership and competent defensive play to a team that gives up way too many prime scoring chances.

Khudobin: I think he could be the next Craig Anderson. He needs an opportunity to run with it.

- Where should we be with regards to the salary cap next year?
Keep at least $8 million open

- How long do we anticipate the rebuilding process taking based on our existing assets? Do we aim for a 2 year, 3 year, 5 year plan?
Ideally we can have a competitive team in 2014-15 and be on the right track to building a contender from there. That is really hard to project though.
It may very well take longer.

- Is our coaching as good as it needs to be?
Watching the Flames kill penalties like idiots and also give away 3 or 4 unbelievable scoring chances every game had me thinking that Hartley should be fired or, at the very least, his assistant should be replaced with a guy who understands NHL defensive systems. However, since the trade deadline, the team has really tightened up and I wonder if their system requires committed back-pressure that they just weren't getting with all of those veterans.

I'm willing to give Hartley another year, especially given that he didn't get a training camp this time around.

- Do you see any existing Flames that can be traded for an asset or two?
Tanguay: I think that he can slot into a top 6 role on many teams. He says all the right things in interviews about committing himself to working hard shift in, shift out and being a leader for the young guys, but he hasn't put that together.

Stempniak: I probably wouldn't trade him as he plays well with young guys and we have no right wingers, but I think he could get something in a trade.

Glencross/Giordano: could get something but I would keep them.

[Sakari]

- What are the strengths of the team right now?
Skill and speed, among our prospects and roster.
- What are the obvious weaknesses?
Lack of physicality and intensity. Players don't bring all that they can every day, which is why we're likely to get a lottery pick.
- Do you draft for a position player or for the best available player?
The best available player. We need to get a new franchise player. That's obvious.
- Do you fill the weaknesses of the team via existing AHL/drafted players or by signing new free agents?
Both. Free agents can work out very well. Hudler and Wideman are examples, they have both been great. Giordano is another example. But drafting works out well too. Although this teams core hasn't been built by drafting for a long time, when it was, we won a cup. So that's probably the best route.
- Which free agents, if any, should be targeted?
Roy.
- Where should we be with regards to the salary cap next year?
We'll want room, which we will indeed have as long as no huge overpayments are made. Can't count on that though.
- How long do we anticipate the rebuilding process taking based on our existing assets? Do we aim for a 2 year, 3 year, 5 year plan?
2-3 year plan.
- Is our coaching as good as it needs to be?
Hartley's system is designed for skill, and strength. This team doesn't have enough of either of that for his system. If he coached the Penguins, or the Bruins, they'd be on their way to multiple cup rings. If/when this team is a respectable, feared franchise again, and Hartley is still the bench boss, this team will be a good one to watch.
- Do you see any existing Flames that can be traded for an asset or two?
Hudler, Glencross, Wideman, Giordano, Stempniak, Tanguay. Wouldn't trade any of them though.

[Caged Great]

This is how I view the team

- What are the strengths of the team right now?

We have a good supporting cast of players. Guys like Backlund, Reinhart, Horak, Aliu, Hanowski, Arnold, Bouma, Cundari, Breen, Wotherspoon, Kulak, Culkin all have the capability of being legitimate NHL players in the long term. On a contending team, only the best of these guys will be your 3rd and 4th lines and your 3rd pairing. Thankfully we have enough options from this group to have a solid stable moving forward.

- What are the obvious weaknesses?

We do not have any skill with the exception of Baertschi, Jankowski and Gaudreau and none of them look to be 1st line players on a contending team if they reach their potential. Obviously we need some impact players, as well as a decent amount of them so that way we can grow our top 2 line depth from within, instead of plugging in a UFA and hoping for the best.

- Do you draft for a position player or for the best available player?

For me, with the first pick I go Forward period. Defensemen are a bit more of a toss up, where forwards tend to be easier to project (at least at the top end). We need to have our first pick to be as likely of a bullseye toss at the dart board as possible, and with a D-man, there's a little more risk involved. After our first, I draft for best player available with the caveat that we take a goalie some time after the 3rd round.

- Do you fill the weaknesses of the team via existing AHL/drafted players or by signing new free agents?

This team is not going to be good for a while. So, I would try and establish what you have for certain and give players the opportunity to surprise. They can't do that if they don't receive enough ice time. That said, I would be all for trading some of our existing veterans for draft picks/prospects and then going after new blood through UFA.

- Which free agents, if any, should be targeted?

We are in need of people to teach the kids the right way to play hockey and win (aka, the please please do not do what Edmonton's doing even in the slightest method). Eric Nystrom embodies that type of player on the lower end and a guy like David Clarkson on the upper end. It really depends on what the cap available will be and whether or not we need to hit the floor.

- Where should we be with regards to the salary cap next year?

We should be scraping the floor. There is not a ton of quality in the UFA pool, certainly not enough to warrant signing several of them to 5+ million dollar contracts. If Kipper retires, we'll be around 34 million, and that's with 5 D-men spots, and 11 forward spots accounted for. Other than trying to hit the floor, there really isn't a need.

- How long do we anticipate the rebuilding process taking based on our existing assets? Do we aim for a 2 year, 3 year, 5 year plan?

It's going to be a minimum of this year and next. The problem with not giving any of our prospects an opportunity to shine over the past 5 years is that we haven't really determined what exactly we have in the stable. Backlund and Baertschi both look to be solid 2nd/3rd liners, but will they be able to step up even more? We won't know till we see. I don't see it taking 5 years though as they have quite a solid group of secondary players already in place.

- Is our coaching as good as it needs to be?

Hartley is a decent teaching coach, and knows how to utilize players properly (see Stajan, Matt and Bouwmeester, Jay as examples). Whether he stays on towards the end of the rebuild or not is anyone's guess. We might at that time sign someone like Tippett or Quenville (sp) to push us over the hump. Depends really on what's going on at the time.

- Do you see any existing Flames that can be traded for an asset or two?

I think all the players over Backlund's age will be traded at some point for other things. The returns will be varied though.




For me, I approach this draft with the mentality of "if I can trade down a couple spots and get a similar prospect or the guy I'm after and acquire additional assets then it's worth looking at"

This draft is very deep in the top 3 rounds this year. If we can acquire additional picks through trading roster guys, or by possibly moving down (depends on the who/what/where) to get more shots at it the better. Even if that means moving from say 65 down to 75 and getting an extra 4th and 6th.

We are going to be in asset management mode, and we need to try to maximize the odds that we can find those hidden gems, either through the draft or otherwise.

[Calgary '89]

- What are the strengths of the team right now?
Bottom 6 skaters, complementary/character players, LW, goaltending.

- What are the obvious weaknesses?
Centres, centres, centres, RW, top pairing defensemen, elite talent in general.

- Do you draft for a position player or for the best available player?
First pick should be for a Centre as there are at least 5 high end ones in the top 10 this year. After that, best player available.

- Do you fill the weaknesses of the team via existing AHL/drafted players or by signing new free agents?
We don't have enough NHL ready players in the minors that can fill the holes in the parent club, therefore I'd fill them with a mix of promoted prospects and UFA's on short term deals.

- Which free agents, if any, should be targeted?
I would target some for 1 year and others for multi-year. For 1 year:
Jagr
Ribeiro
Ryder
Clowe
Horton
Weiss
Whoever accepts would get a 1 year, overpaid contract and would be trade-able at the deadline. For Multiyear:
Clarkson - 3yr
Stalberg - 4yr
Raymond - 3 yr
Roy - 4yr
Gordon - 2yr
Scuderi - 2yr
Leopold - 2 yr

- Where should we be with regards to the salary cap next year?
With Kiprusoff retiring, there will be just over $25M in cap space for 8 roster spots, I don't want an all rookie team and the top 4 needs a little help so I'd bring in a few UFA's. I'd also bring in 1, maybe 2 bad contracts that expire next season. This would be done to pick up additional assets, be it picks or prospects.

- How long do we anticipate the rebuilding process taking based on our existing assets? Do we aim for a 2 year, 3 year, 5 year plan?
I'd plan for the rebuild to take no more than 3 years, but I wouldn't rush it with risky moves unless results prove it's necessary.

- Is our coaching as good as it needs to be?
I don't know yet. I can't really grade Hartley based on one weird season. I'd want to see improvements on special teams though.

- Do you see any existing Flames that can be traded for an asset or two?
Absolutely, but not till the trade deadline as this summer teams will be busy fitting under the cap.
Before the deadline I see Cammalleri, Stempniak, Stajan and 1 or 2 acquired bad contracts traded. If someone wants Sarich, they can have him for a 6th.