[Signing] Flames sign Russell to 2 year extension ($2.6M AAV)

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

I never defended his ability to evaluate. I just said he has probably learned something, I never said how much because I have no idea, just like you have no idea how little.

But I find it very ironic that this argument is happening in a Kris Russell thread. A trade Feaster made that was criticized by many and thought of as significant by no one. Seems like Feaster judged his talent pretty well.

As an individual player, I like Russel. I've liked him since watching him in the Memorial Cup but Feaster trading for one of the smallest defencemen in the NHL, when we already have the smallest team in the NHL, isn't good planning.

At the moment he's the best option we have, as he's NHL quality but as Burke has said about other small players, we need to surround him with some beef. We really need another competent big defenceman. This is the reason Breen keeps getting chances.

As for Feaster learning something after 25 years, in my books he obviously hasn't learned enough.

[strombad]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

I never defended his ability to evaluate. I just said he has probably learned something, I never said how much because I have no idea, just like you have no idea how little.



But I find it very ironic that this argument is happening in a Kris Russell thread. A trade Feaster made that was criticized by many and thought of as significant by no one. Seems like Feaster judged his talent pretty well.

A broken clock is right twice a day. He made a lot of mistakes, so let's step down off that high horse shall we?

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

As an individual player, I like Russel. I've liked him since watching him in the Memorial Cup but Feaster trading for one of the smallest defencemen in the NHL, when we already have the smallest team in the NHL, isn't good planning.

At the moment he's the best option we have, as he's NHL quality but as Burke has said about other small players, we need to surround him with some beef. We really need another competent big defenceman. This is the reason Breen keeps getting chances.

As for Feaster learning something after 25 years, in my books he obviously hasn't learned enough.

Not that it makes a tremendous difference... but at the beginning of the year the Flames were 28th in height (ahead of Montreal and tied with St.Louis) and 28th in weight (Minnesota and NY Islanders).

This was pre-Westgarth and Smid (although losing Smid adding Byron probably offsets any increase).

Source: http://mirtle.blogspot.ca/2013/10/20...eight-and.html

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Not that it makes a tremendous difference... but at the beginning of the year the Flames were 28th in height (ahead of Montreal and tied with St.Louis) and 28th in weight (Minnesota and NY Islanders).

This was pre-Westgarth and Smid (although losing Smid adding Byron probably offsets any increase).

Source: http://mirtle.blogspot.ca/2013/10/20...eight-and.html

Yeah, I was going by Mirtle's stats from 2012/13 when by weight we were the smallest.

and thanks, I'd looked for this season's stats before but somehow didn't find them.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by strombad

A broken clock is right twice a day. He made a lot of mistakes, so let's step down off that high horse shall we?

If being on a high horse means standing by my opinions and not feeling the need to #### all over a guy that has already been fired, then I would rather stay on it thanks.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

If being on a high horse means standing by my opinions and not feeling the need to #### all over a guy that has already been fired, then I would rather stay on it thanks.

Maybe with some, they've only decided that Feaster is wanting as a GM since he's been fired but I haven't liked the job he's been doing since the Regehr trade, so his firing hasn't much to do with my opinion and probably a lot of other members opinions, so don't play the martyr.

Having said this, I wish him well. Feaster is probably a good guy, just not a good GM.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to give up an asset to dump Wideman's contract or anything.... but if for some reason, someone out there thinks Wideman is worth his contract and wants to give up a useful asset, it makes a lot more sense to deal Wideman then Brodie.

If this was 4 years ago I'd want to trade Wideman, but as it stands, he helps Calgary get a higher draft pick and meet the cap floor.

I'm utterly ambivalent about Wideman, even though I know he's responsible for sinking the team on many nights. By the time this team needs that cap space or wins in tight games, Wideman will be gone anyway.

If Florida insists on losing, I would get back to playing Wideman 30 minutes a night. If you're going to pay him that amount of money, he might as well help you as much as possible.

[strombad]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

If being on a high horse means standing by my opinions and not feeling the need to #### all over a guy that has already been fired, then I would rather stay on it thanks.

But it's so high....

[undercoverbrother]

I was in Caroline this weekend for a game.

They have a nice acknowledgement to Russell up in the rink.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Bad GMs get fired before their picks pan out but there are some good GMs who stick around. Those seem to be the ones who know how to grade players as a part of their skill set. Feaster in his 25 years never went through the process of learning that skill.
Yeah sure there are ways to separate some scouts from others but that still doesn't tell you if the scouts are any good in the first place.

I mean they could tell you that Jankowski is a first round pick and you wouldn't know any better.

Yeah, exactly. Who cares that 20+ scouts from 20 other NHL organizations think he is a first rounder too!

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Yeah, exactly. Who cares that 20+ scouts from 20 other NHL organizations think he is a first rounder too!

I heard something vaguely like that around here too, but don't remember seeing a link. I found this but it was too early to have much meaning.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/article...NHL-draft.html

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Yeah, exactly. Who cares that 20+ scouts from 20 other NHL organizations think he is a first rounder too!

Not to get too carried away with this subject as the thread is about Russell, but it is worth mentioning that whether or not this pick pans out, it's not a pick the Flames had the luxury to make. Feaster and Weisbrod do deserve to be fired by making this type of pick (along with the other idiotic things Feaster did)

Everyone knows Jankowski is a project and has a high ceiling, but the flames didn't need a project pick with a low chance of panning out. They needed a sure-fire NHLer who can step in sooner than 4-5 years after the selection. A team booming with solid prospects should of made this pick, not a team lacking depth, prospects and is rebuilding.

At this point we'll continue to wait and hope for the best. If he puts it together, he'll be ready to step into the NHL when the flames are on the upswing. But had that first rounder been someone currently in the NHL, they'd have plenty of playing time to develop in the NHL by this time or even last year.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

I heard something vaguely like that around here too, but don't remember seeing a link. I found this but it was too early to have much meaning.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/article...NHL-draft.html

Not sure I am following this logic.

You insinuate in your post that Jankowski is not a first round pick, and we are fools to believe Feaster for saying it. Yet I mention this exact link you found (and thanks for posting it - I was wrong as it wasn't 20 NHL scouts from 20 NHL teams, but apparently scouts from all 30 teams), and completely dismiss it?

If 29 other impartial professional scouts seem to collectively agree that Jankowski is 25th on the list (a first round pick), are we still fools for believing Feaster when he said so?

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

Not to get too carried away with this subject as the thread is about Russell, but it is worth mentioning that whether or not this pick pans out, it's not a pick the Flames had the luxury to make. Feaster and Weisbrod do deserve to be fired by making this type of pick (along with the other idiotic things Feaster did)

Everyone knows Jankowski is a project and has a high ceiling, but the flames didn't need a project pick with a low chance of panning out. They needed a sure-fire NHLer who can step in sooner than 4-5 years after the selection. A team booming with solid prospects should of made this pick, not a team lacking depth, prospects and is rebuilding.

At this point we'll continue to wait and hope for the best. If he puts it together, he'll be ready to step into the NHL when the flames are on the upswing. But had that first rounder been someone currently in the NHL, they'd have plenty of playing time to develop in the NHL by this time or even last year.

I also hate to discuss Jankowski in this thread. I will quote this and reply to it in the Jankowski thread in the Backburner section. I do think this does merit some discussion.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

Everyone knows Jankowski is a project and has a high ceiling, but the flames didn't need a project pick with a low chance of panning out. They needed a sure-fire NHLer who can step in sooner than 4-5 years after the selection. A team booming with solid prospects should of made this pick, not a team lacking depth, prospects and is rebuilding.

But the Flames weren't rebuilding when that pick was made. They were still in the bubble team chasing that low-seed playoff spot phase.

I don't really agree with this statement (in general). For starters the Flames need/needed impact talent and most sure-fire NHLer who can step in sooner than 4-5 years after the selection beyond the premium picks tend to not be impact talent. Safe picks are for the teams that want cheap depth with some upside to replace the depth they lose around their core. I actually think the all-or-nothing home-run swing is situationally appropriate for teams in that position. I mean, Zemgus Girgensons (the safe pick to take) is a fine hockey player but he's not going to change the fortunes of a hockey club.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Not sure I am following this logic.

You insinuate in your post that Jankowski is not a first round pick, and we are fools to believe Feaster for saying it. Yet I mention this exact link you found (and thanks for posting it - I was wrong as it wasn't 20 NHL scouts from 20 NHL teams, but apparently scouts from all 30 teams), and completely dismiss it?

If 29 other impartial professional scouts seem to collectively agree that Jankowski is 25th on the list (a first round pick), are we still fools for believing Feaster when he said so?

When the poll was taken, it was way too early to have much meaning other than trying to eliminate some players. Jankowski is on such a slow track, that it might take a while to eliminate him. These scouts even eliminated Ceci who's now playing for the Senators. They don't have god like powers, just educated opinions and I have my opinion which pretty much coincides with Bandwagon in Flames.

Anyways you're missing the point. Naming Jankowski was sure to ruffle some feathers and I couldn't resist. I thought it was funny to tell the truth even though I don't like the Jankowski pick, which I well covered in the Jankowski thread.

The point is that no matter the draft pick, or any evaluation, Feaster is at the mercy of his scouts to make the decision as he has little idea if the pick is good or not and even has little idea if the scouts are any good either as he has no basis to decide if they are good or not good.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Parallex

But the Flames weren't rebuilding when that pick was made. They were still in the bubble team chasing that low-seed playoff spot phase.

I don't really agree with this statement (in general). For starters the Flames need/needed impact talent and most sure-fire NHLer who can step in sooner than 4-5 years after the selection beyond the premium picks tend to not be impact talent. Safe picks are for the teams that want cheap depth with some upside to replace the depth they lose around their core. I actually think the all-or-nothing home-run swing is situationally appropriate for teams in that position. I mean, Zemgus Girgensons (the safe pick to take) is a fine hockey player but he's not going to change the fortunes of a hockey club.

Safe picks are for teams with an empty prospect drawer. Going for the all or nothing home run is for teams that can afford to strike out, since they already have plenty of prospects. When your funds are low, it's not a good time to gamble.

[Stay Golden]

2 years 2.6m per is an outstanding contract extension for the Flames with Russell. Burke did a great job getting this done. I don't see how any Flames fan can criticize this deal at all.

[DOOM]

First 29 games playing for the Flames

29 games played - 4 goals, 11 assists, +6



Since December 10th

18 games played - 0 goals, 5 assists, -9

[puckluck2]

And still playing solid and earning every penny.