[Signing] Flames sign Brad Richardson (1 yr, $800k)

[Vinny01]

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk
Mangiapane-Monahan-Coleman
Lucic-Backlund-Dube
Lewis-Richardson-Pitlick

Hanifin-Tanev
Zadorov-Andersson
Valimaki-Mackey
Kylington

Markstrom
Vlader

Potential PTO’s- Stone, Gudbransen, Demers

Your 21-22 Calgary Flames. What an underwhelming offseason and the first time since Treliving took over as GM the team might not look as good on paper this year as last year depending on what you think of Giordano or Coleman.

[Strange Brew]

A patented low risk signing. Which is fine, if it doesn't work, no long term harm.

But we need to start putting a better team on the ice. So Richardson needs to be able to play, or a young player needs to push him out of the way.

It's not like our top players are skating circles around the opposition.

[timbit]

Perhaps, Tre has decided to surround the high end underachievers with lower end overachievers who know how to win. It will also provide leadership and accountability to the Flames younger players.

One big difference from last season....a lot more SC winners are on the roster.

Osmosis?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Hey, it's worked perfectly 0% of the time! You can't change the mold at this stage!

(...the team really is doing it's typical off-season rubbish...the one saving grace may be that Darryl Sutter is the coach, which seems to be what Treliving is betting this entire season on...)

As far as the argument being "hey kids, you just have to be better than 36 year old so and so", that's just not how it works. Coaches, to the team's detriment, trust veterans over youth. It screws up player development and team success.

This off-season has been pathetic. This off-season is 100% dependent on "intangibles".

I'd hate to go back and look at everyone's comments after the season was over. Lots of excitement for the offseason and the acknowledgement of how pivotal it was going to be.

At this point seems we have no choice but to rationalize that Sutter will make a huge difference, that certain players will bounce back and no one really takes a step back.

Or Eichel I suppose.

[djsFlames]

Good idea behind the strategy but in practice I see it falling flat.

Needed more Coleman type signings, less Richardsons.

We have enough quality young players to fill out these roles, and the upside is they can progress beyond them. But Sutter means do stuff to win now; hence vets, vets, vets.

End of the day, it's still a 3rd-5th place pacific team that last a round, maybe two facing another mediocre opponent.

[Bingo]

The Flames were never going to roll out a dynamic bottom six that was going to run and gun the opposition.

It's all up to Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Lindholm, Backlund, Monahan, Coleman and Mangiapane. That won't change.

But the bottom of the forward group certainly doesn't have a Ronaldo skating around and completely sinking shot and chance metrics. Hopefully that's the case ... nothing happens either way bottom 4-5 forewords letting the other guys go to work.

Still think a move is coming though.

[bax]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

HAHA

Brad had yet another obscure fringe free agent signing in him. It's just funny at this point. What difference are Pitlicks, Lewises and Richardsons doing to elevate a team that already lacks the punch needed in the top six.

Putting more strips of duct tape on a beater essentially.

All it does is add some toughness to a team in an era that is skill based and pushes the kids with potential further down the chart.

Which kids exactly? And toughness? Richardson isn’t a “tough” player. I don’t think you have any idea what type of player he is.

Why wouldn’t you want the GM to sign effective, cheap, and no risk defensively responsible forwards for the bottom six? The complaining here is hilarious. Fixing the bottom six doesn’t mean you can’t touch other parts of the roster.

At the bare minimum at least the bottom half of the roster will have an identity now. Sutter hockey needs Sutter players.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by bax

Why wouldn’t you want the GM to sign effective, cheap, and no risk defensively responsible forwards for the bottom six?

Because every prospect not on the roster is a guaranteed Hall of Famer if only the stupid Flames would give him a chance to shine. Then when he doesn't, it's because the stupid Flames ruined his development.

So how dare they sign a cheap, effective, no-risk, defensively responsible forward, when they could be giving that roster spot to the next Dustin Boyd!

[djsFlames]

Hard to believe its a cap team now.

A lot of fat, very little meat.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by bax

Which kids exactly? And toughness? Richardson isn’t a “tough” player. I don’t think you have any idea what type of player he is.

Why wouldn’t you want the GM to sign effective, cheap, and no risk defensively responsible forwards for the bottom six? The complaining here is hilarious. Fixing the bottom six doesn’t mean you can’t touch other parts of the roster.

At the bare minimum at least the bottom half of the roster will have an identity now. Sutter hockey needs Sutter players.

I agree. 4th line center on a 1 year deal for slightly above league minimum is a good deal. It was a hole that got filled at no risk. He advance stats are decent and he’s a good face off guy. I actually like this better than Ryan at almost double the money let alone the 3.2 we paid him for 3 years prior.

This move puts a guy like Froese back in the AHL. Not sure any of the young guys were going to play center this year anyways

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Hard to believe its a cap team now.

A lot of fat, very little meat.

Cap left + Lucic + Buyout Penalties = 10 million. Combined with a team that has to overpay to get UFAs, if you aren’t perfect with your cap space as an Alberta team you don’t have much of a chance.

[868904]

Ever since Treliving has been here, the offseasons have generally been declared successful and everyone has been hyped and optimistic.

Last Summer, the majority were declaring the Flames had a great offseason in finally acquiring a legit number 1 goalie. As crazy as it sounds, people were even excited about the signings of Leivo, Simon and Nordstrom.

All those "Great offseasons" have only led to disappointment.

Maybe we can head in to this season with the lowest of expectations and be pleasantly surprised?

[bubbsy]

Well all the flames really needed was to get rid of their best dman, replace him with a worse dman, and get 3 or so bottom 6 'sutter-esque' depth forwards to fix everything wrong with the skill level of the team.

I love sutter as much as the next guy, but this faith in '... Full training camp and season of sutter, that's all we need ' sure feels like a prayer.

[Slava]

Finally, the core shakeup we’ve all been waiting for!

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by timbit

Perhaps, Tre has decided to surround the high end underachievers with lower end overachievers who know how to win. It will also provide leadership and accountability to the Flames younger players.

One big difference from last season....a lot more SC winners are on the roster.

Osmosis?

This is a good post. Flames needing to change the culture of the team. Once the i's are weeded out the team will start to working together. Sutter also knows Brad, maybe he is good in the room is familiar with the style, and plays the right way.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk
Mangiapane-Monahan-Coleman
Lucic-Backlund-Dube
Lewis-Richardson-Pitlick

Hanifin-Tanev
Zadorov-Andersson
Valimaki-Mackey
Kylington

Markstrom
Vlader

Potential PTO’s- Stone, Gudbransen, Demers

Your 21-22 Calgary Flames. What an underwhelming offseason and the first time since Treliving took over as GM the team might not look as good on paper this year as last year depending on what you think of Giordano or Coleman.

Wondering if those potential PTO slots are being held for guys like Pelletier. I hope they give them a chance. We have enough old vets. Need one or two rookies.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

This is a good post. Flames needing to change the culture of the team. Once the i's are weeded out the team will start to working together. Sutter also knows Brad, maybe he is good in the room is familiar with the style, and plays the right way.

Sutter mentioned a number of times last season that in his opinion skill wasn’t the issue. Mental toughness was.

I think the Flames upgraded physical and mental toughness this offseason more than anything else. Which lines up with what Sutter said.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Well all the flames really needed was to get rid of their best dman, replace him with a worse dman, and get 3 or so bottom 6 'sutter-esque' depth forwards to fix everything wrong with the skill level of the team.

I love sutter as much as the next guy, but this faith in '... Full training camp and season of sutter, that's all we need ' sure feels like a prayer.

Gio was our best dman for years but he wasn’t our best dman last year. Treliving didn’t get an asset for him but he did let him go. This team lost an all time great flame but they also lost a 38 year old nearly $7 mil dman who more than likely was not going to be better than he was last year.

Zadorov isn’t replacing Norris Gio he’s replacing past his prime Gio who was awful with rasmus and only played well with tanev. The loss was Gios decline for a few years ago.

Valimaki also can’t be worse and it’s no out of the question that he’s replacing Gio not zadorov.

Flames forwards are better than last year

Flames also made huge moves the previous off season and it didn’t work out but quite often players don’t come into a new team and play well year 1 after signing a big contract. The Flames have a lot of guys that can’t be worse then they were last season

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Bingo

The Flames were never going to roll out a dynamic bottom six that was going to run and gun the opposition.

It's all up to Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Lindholm, Backlund, Monahan, Coleman and Mangiapane. That won't change.

But the bottom of the forward group certainly doesn't have a Ronaldo skating around and completely sinking shot and chance metrics. Hopefully that's the case ... nothing happens either way bottom 4-5 forewords letting the other guys go to work.

Still think a move is coming though.

Could probably add Dube in that list

[868904]

Originally Posted by Goriders

Sutter mentioned a number of times last season that in his opinion skill wasn’t the issue. Mental toughness was.

I think the Flames upgraded physical and mental toughness this offseason more than anything else. Which lines up with what Sutter said.

This looks like their strategy going into the offseason:

Plan A - Land Eichel

Plan B - Sutterize