2015/2016 - Predict the starting lineup

[TSXCman]

It is refreshing to see about 1-3 players different from our healthy line-up in most of these points. It's a sign of being pretty satisfied with how these guys have worked out. Alternatively, we could have seen guys putting up every top UFA in our line-up and pushing out the current players.

[Roof-Daddy]

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
M Ferland - J Staal - D Jones
L Bouma - S Bennett - Colborne
B Bollig - M Stajan - Hathaway

Jooris, Byron

Giordano - Brodie
Russell - J Petry
E Gelinas - Engelland

Diaz
LTIR - Smid

Hiller
Ortio

Traded - Backlund, Raymond, Shore, Wideman, Granlund, Wotherspoon

[GranteedEV]

I dunno, but I wouldn't mind this:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Shore
Poirier-Bennett-Hudler
Bouma-Backlund-Jooris
Colborne-Stajan-Jones

LW/RW Byron
LW/RW Ferland

1st callups:
LW Granlund
C Arnold
RW Hathaway

Giordano-Brodie
Russell-Petry
Schlemko-Wideman
RD Engelland

1st callups:
RD Morrison
LD Kulak

Ortio
Ramo

[Heavy Jack]

The hope for me is we package a prospect like Agistino + 2nd Round WSH + 1st Round CGY to a team in the top 10 like Columbus who is much better than their 8th seed suggests which helps them justify taking a lower seed + extra pick/prospect. Might be a bit steeper of a cost but I think if the Flames can find a way into that top 10 we get one more crucial top end piece to solidify the core of this team.

After that I think we need to trade Raymond, Jones and if the offer was fair Backlund.

It would nice if we could land a guy like Seabrook or ROR but the prices will be understandably high which makes me not want to see a blockbuster at this point in time. I'd rather see us throw some dollars at Frolik or Williams to gain that bigger bodied RW'er and to buy us some time for Smith to develop and some better options to present themselves. I also hope we re-up Schlemko and let Diaz/Potter walk.

One deal I see as realistic is a Backlund/J.Staal swap, they are similar age and if the Flames added a bit more like a 2nd I'd love to see a deal like this go down and swing us one of the better faceoff guys in the league.

Finally I'd rather deal Hiller and sign Ramo.

So if all went as planned this is my best (hopeful) guess at the starting line-up:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Bouma - Staal - Williams
Ferland - Bennett - Colborne
Bollig - Stajan/Granlund - Jooris

Giordano - Brodie
Russell - Wideman
Schlemko - Engelland
Wotherspoon - Morrison

Ramo
Ortio

In:
Staal, Williams

Out:
Raymond, Backlund, Jones, Byron, Hiller

I think this line-up works because of how you can easily swap the 2nd/3rd line wings and mix and match them till a combination leads to chemistry. We bring in some pretty great experience in Staal/Williams while upgrading areas of needs.

Last but not least draft Provorov (spl???) That guy is gonna be a stud of a blueliner.

[bettman]

Flames will attempt to trade both or either Hudler or Hiller. Also if Mikael Backlund wants more that 3 million and 3 years he becomes a trade possibility.Flames need to prepare to extend Giordano, Monahan, Goudreau and Russell in a years time. Creating more cap space and flexibility to add an experienced defenceman an forward has to be part of the plan.

[Heavy Jack]

Normally I don't care about names/spelling... but it's Gaudreau!!

Also Hudler retires a Flame IMHO. He is a big part of the glue of this team and he means too much to the youth movement of the Flames. Look at what he's done with Gaudreau and Monahan in just 2 years of work.

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

This is just my guess, and I do not think we will be acquiring any players via trade or UFA.

Has this ever happened in this history of the league? A team not making any free agent signings or trades in the off season? Maybe back in the 40's or something but in the modern era I'd think this is extremely unlikely.

[JohnnySkittles]

Yeah... I really don't understand how so many people are still misspelling guys like Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett, etc.

As for my lineup:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler
Bennett-Backlund-Bouma
Ferland-Jooris-Jones
Bollig/Raymond-Stajan/Shore-Colborne

Brodie-Gio
Wideman-Russell
Engelland-Schlemko

And one of Hiller/Ramo, I think either Ramo will walk or Hiller will be traded and we'll resign Ramo. Either way I see next season rolling out as:

Hiller/Ramo + Ortio, he deserves it IMO.

I also don't see any big trades happening this offseason, no Staal type deals like some posters propose. Maybe move Raymond if we can, but not much outside of that. Continue to give our young guys the opportunities and watch them grow.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Has this ever happened in this history of the league? A team not making any free agent signings or trades in the off season? Maybe back in the 40's or something but in the modern era I'd think this is extremely unlikely.

From what I can tell, last summer, Detroit made no trades and the only UFA signing they made (of a player who wasn't previously with the Wings) was for an AHL journeyman who spent the entire season in Grand Rapids.


http://www.nhltradetracker.com/user/...it_Red_Wings/1
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=724642

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by getbak

From what I can tell, last summer, Detroit made no trades and the only UFA signing they made (of a player who wasn't previously with the Wings) was for an AHL journeyman who spent the entire season in Grand Rapids.


http://www.nhltradetracker.com/user/...it_Red_Wings/1
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=724642

Huh, interesting. Detroit seems like the type of organization that would happen.

[Young Guns]

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Belesky - Bennett - Lucic
Bouma - Stajan - Ferland
Bollig - Jooris - Jones


Giordano - Brodie
Wideman - Russell
Engelland - Franson


Hiller
Ortio

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Huh, interesting. Detroit seems like the type of organization that would happen.

I might have been a little too literal when I said that, I'm sure there will be some depth signings for the farm, I think Mason Raymond sticks out like a sore thumb, but I don't see the point in big trades or UFA signings. You usually have to overpay in a bidding war for both, and signing a guy like Petry might eat up the cap the room one day that results in us losing Russell. Some think the worst thing that happened to the 2004 Flames was signings old guys like Amonte and Friesen, I disagree - I think the worst mistake was losing the pulse of the dressing room and accumulating too many players we thought were "upgrades" that turned the roster into a bunch of 9-5 employees that take 1 hour and 15 minute lunch breaks.

Our D might have been a little thin, but Wotherspoon will be pushing for spots and Hickey in the pipeline. We might be thin on RW, but Poirer will be pushing for a spot too and some size in Hunter Smith. If we can find a diamond in the rough, ala Schlemko, great, but I wouldn't really count on it. Right now I see 14 forwards for 13 spots and 8 D I like for 7 spots, with only a small number I see making sense to move (Smid, Raymond, then possibly Jooris and Byron)..... otherwise you are losing the pulse of the dressing room, from Colborne to Backlund, Stajan, Jones and Schlemko.

Though I'm sure through the natural progression of a rebuilding team, guys like Wideman and Hudler will eventually get pushed down the roster and possibly delt for picks ala Glencross, but I would think (and would rather see it) done internally rather then overpaying for a UFA or trade and seeing it fail.

[Gaskal]

Opening Night Lineup
Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Bouma - Backlund - Frolik
Ferland - Bennett - Colborne
Byron - Stajan - Jooris

Shore, Bollig

Gio - Wideman
Brodie - Hamilton
Russell - Engelland
Schlemko

Ramo
Ortio

[Vinny01]

Not going to speculate who we get but who do we lose?

I could see Treliving trying to part ways with players he brought in Raymond and Hiller. I wonder what the future holds for Backlund? If he has interest in a 4 year deal at $3m per then I think you keep him. If you do keep him then I dabgle Granlund in trade talks, he along with one of our 2nds might be able to land a top 6 forward that has priced himself out of his teams future plans?

We need to upgrade the #4/5 D spot and add 2 top 6 forwards IMO. The top 6 I like are Gaudreau, Monahan, Hudler, and Bennett. Bouma, Backlund, Jones, Colborne are not top 6 forwards in my eyes (sometimes Joe shows flashes).

Here is a look at the spots I want replaced

Gaudreau-Monahan-?
?-Bennett-Hudler
Bouma-Backlund/Granlund/Shore-Colborne
Ferland-Stajan-Jooris
Bollig

Gio-Brodie
Russell/?-Wideman
?/Russell-Engellend
Wotherspoon/Smid

Ramo
Ortio

Jones, Raymond, Schlemko, Diaz, Byron possibly 2 of Backlund/Granlund/Shore are gone.

[Ryan Coke]

I think Ferland is a guy that may surprise and look good with some top 6 ice time.

Depends on progression of course, but he has some hands to go along with the physicality and agitation.

[#-3]

Gaudreau - Monahan - Colborne
Bouma - Backlund - Jones
Hudler - Bennett - Iginla
Ferkland - Stajan - Bollig
Granlund - Jooris

Giordano - Brodie
Russell - Wideman
Schlemko - McQuaid
Engelland

Ramo
Ortio
Gillies

PP
Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler - Russell - Wideman
Iginla - Bennett - Jones - Giordano - Brodie

PK
Stajan - Bouma - Giordano - Hiller
Monahan - Colborne - Russell - Engelland

come one, nobody believed Tanguay and Jokinen would be back, he fills the need allot of us talk about exactly. Physical scoring right winger that can play on the first or second line

[CroFlames]

I think we wait until Iggy's current deal is up. Then we snag him for his one million dollar swan song

It will be a site to behold watching Gio hand Iggy the Cup :')

[H2SO4(aq)]

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Bouma - Backlund - Colborne
Ferland - Bennett - Williams
Bollig - Stajan - Jones

Giordano - Brodie
Russell - Wideman
Franson - Engelland
Schlemko

Ramo
Ortio

Probably too expensive to get both guys (Justin Williams and Cody Franson) in free agency though.

[Cheese]

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Bennett - Backlund - (New guy)
Bouma - (New Guy) - Ferland
(All new guys)
(New guy), (New guy)

Gio
Brodie
(New guy)
Wideman
Engelland
Wotherspoon
(New guy)

Ramo
Ortio

[Itse]

I don't see why they wouldn't start the season pretty much as they ended it, so something like...
Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler
Bouma-Backlund-Colborne
Ferland-Stajan-Jones
Raymond/Bollig-Bennett-Poirier/Jooris

By the end of the season I expect Bennett to take his place as a top 2 center, possibly pairing up with Gaudreau. The very small glimpse we saw against the Ducks looked very promising, they seemed to show instant chemistry.

They'll probably be looking for a forward that has size, can carry the puck across the blueline and hold the puck along the boards. A more experienced Colborne if you like. But I'm not crazy about speculating who that might be, or whether they'll find such a guy.

On the defense I get that we could use an upgrade, most specifically a guy with more size, but I'm not convinced an upgrade can be found.

So really it wouldn't shock me if there's very little movement between now and the trade deadline next year. This is quite simply because the good players don't move that much these days, and the top UFA's tend to go to nicer climates.