[Signing] Flames sign RW Michael Frolik to 5 year deal ($4.3 mil aav)

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Rule clarification, are we supposed to drink twice or once?

I went for twice but I also don't plan on going to work tomorrow.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Once, but it has to be a double

Done.

As a side note (not sure if this has been brought up yet) I wonder if players like Frolik won't be getting more valuable now that we have 3 on 3 overtime. You need to play either 2 forwards and 1 defence or vise versa. If you only have 1 defenceman out there then it would be advantageous to have at least one of those forwards able to play well in their own end.

[dying4acup]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Done.

As a side note (not sure if this has been brought up yet) I wonder if players like Frolik won't be getting more valuable now that we have 3 on 3 overtime. You need to play either 2 forwards and 1 defence or vise versa. If you only have 1 defenceman out there then it would be advantageous to have at least one of those forwards able to play well in their own end.

Not a bad point but, can you see the Flames employing that strategy when the top 5 D on this team are capable of generating sooooooooo much offense?

I can't.

[debil]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Moved from the Belesky signing thread

What does a Hockey trade and signing an RFA have to do with UFAs?

I totally agree that the Flames would be better off sitting out UFA signings...

The very best UFA signing was Hudler ... second best Wideman..... the UFA signing of Bouwmeester ruined a perfectly good playoff contending club for 5 years.

Not just for the Flames but for all teams the UFA signing risks generally far out-weigh the rewards.

For every Chara signing that works there are 4 of Bouwmeester, Redden, Erhoff, Ville Leino Brad Richards, David Clarkson, Federov, Semin, Selanne and Kariya to the Avs .... A mistake in the UFA signing over 2 years sinks a team further than any other hockey transaction this side of the Leeman-Gilmour trade.

The best UFA signings are 1M 1 yr deals that Selanne took to get back to the Ducks or Tanguay back to the Flames.

I can't agree more. This is too risky. getting stuck with big and long contract on average guy is what kills your opportunities in the future. He will improve your team marginally given we have similarly talented players in Jones, Bouma, Colborne but if this fails were stuck with big money contract for 5 years. I don't like it.

Moreover, what would happen with Poirier now? Did we give up on him? We should start this guy and develop him this or next season. I understand he didn't look ready last year, but his time is coming. I wanted short term bridge-RW for 1-2 yrs but 5years and overpayment for Frolik is not the right move.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Done.

As a side note (not sure if this has been brought up yet) I wonder if players like Frolik won't be getting more valuable now that we have 3 on 3 overtime. You need to play either 2 forwards and 1 defence or vise versa. If you only have 1 defenceman out there then it would be advantageous to have at least one of those forwards able to play well in their own end.

The bench will get pretty short during 3 on 3. you probably only get 9 different guys out there most of the time, 6 are almost certain to get some of those minutes.

Monahan, Hudler, Gaudreau, Giordano, Brodie, Hamilton.

In your average overtime Frolik is probably fighting with 4 or 5 other forwards just to get on the 3rd OT unit. I have to think on a game by game basis Hartley will go with whoever is flying out there. With so much ice speed and puck prusuit will be vary important. You have to think that favours guys like Ferland, Bennett, and Colborne.

[dying4acup]

Originally Posted by debil

I can't agree more. This is too risky. getting stuck with big and long contract on average guy is what kills your opportunities in the future. He will improve your team marginally given we have similarly talented players in Jones, Bouma, Colborne but if this fails were stuck with big money contract for 5 years. I don't like it.

Moreover, what would happen with Poirier now? Did we give up on him? We should start this guy and develop him this or next season. I understand he didn't look ready last year, but his time is coming. I wanted short term bridge-RW for 1-2 yrs but 5years and overpayment for Frolik is not the right move.

I don't completely disagree.

I feel though, that there are enough expiring contracts that he wouldn't be a player we would regret signing for at least 4years.

To add, Frolik does things that the Flames were poor in. PK. Possession. RW.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by debil

I can't agree more. This is too risky. getting stuck with big and long contract on average guy is what kills your opportunities in the future. He will improve your team marginally given we have similarly talented players in Jones, Bouma, Colborne but if this fails were stuck with big money contract for 5 years. I don't like it.

Defensively Frolik is possibly our best winger, and offensively he would have been 4th in forward scoring last season and 3rd the season before that. That is not a marginal improvement. He could very well be our best winger not named Hudler or Gaudreau.

(Bouma and Jones are also very different players. Colborne could end up being somewhat similar, but his play was very inconsistent last season.)

As for getting stuck with Frolik, by all accounts he was a sought after player that was signed to a very reasonable contract. If he ends up being a luxury player we can't afford, he's easy to move. I wouldn't worry about it.

Moreover, what would happen with Poirier now? Did we give up on him? We should start this guy and develop him this or next season. I understand he didn't look ready last year, but his time is coming. I wanted short term bridge-RW for 1-2 yrs but 5years and overpayment for Frolik is not the right move.

To begin with, you don't hand out spots to rookies just because. It's not the way the Flames operate. Plus as you said, there's no guarantees that Poirier is ready for the NHL. What is guaranteed IMO is that he will not be ruined by another season in the AHL.

After this season Hudler and Jones are UFA's and Raymond could very well be moved due for other reasons, so spots will be available.

Plus there will be injuries, typically 2-4 at any one time. And Jones will probably be among them again (sadly).

[doctajones428]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

the UFA signing of Bouwmeester ruined a perfectly good playoff contending club for 5 years.

Actually the hiring of Brent Sutter did

[killer_carlson]

no one could have predicted both how fast Phaneuf would fall coupled with how unable the uber-shy Boumeester was able to handle a hockey market

[calgaryboy]

Hello guys!

Interview with Frolik on one Czech sport website today:

http://isport.blesk.cz/clanek/hokej-...-15-minut.html

Little recap:

-had like 15 mins on decison, take it or leave it
- really happy about terms of the contract, happy about the money of course too
-was in touch with WPG too, but Calgary won in the end
-had several talks with Flames executives before the draft, Hartley told him that he likes players like him
- Flames were really interested, said it was always very pleasant talk
- talked with Jiri about Flames, Hudler had nothing but praise for the city and organization
-thinks this contract is deserved for his hard work
-glad that also Hudler has a baby like him
-watched Flames in play-offs, liked the C of Red very much, thinks CGY has even better fans than WPG
- thinks he is really versatile and that it was the main factor why Flames were interested so much, can play any given role
- glad he stays in Canada, in a city with tradition
-would like to win another Stanley Cup......

some more things about Czech national team, World Cup etc.........

----------------------------
I really think Frolik will be Hudler 2.0 and will have his best NHL seasons in Flames uniform!!!!!

Go FLAMES!!!! Treliving is a master of GM!!!!! :-)

Greetings from Czech republic

[MrCallahan]

Originally Posted by calgaryboy

Hello guys!

Interview with Frolik on one Czech sport website today:

http://isport.blesk.cz/clanek/hokej-...-15-minut.html

Little recap:

-had like 15 mins on decison, take it or leave it
- really happy about terms of the contract, happy about the money of course too
-was in touch with WPG too, but Calgary won in the end
-had several talks with Flames executives before the draft, Hartley told him that he likes players like him
- Flames were really interested, said it was always very pleasant talk
- talked with Jiri about Flames, Hudler had nothing but praise for the city and organization
-thinks this contract is deserved for his hard work
-glad that also Hudler has a baby like him
-watched Flames in play-offs, liked the C of Red very much, thinks CGY has even better fans than WPG
- thinks he is really versatile and that it was the main factor why Flames were interested so much, can play any given role
- glad he stays in Canada, in a city with tradition
-would like to win another Stanley Cup......

some more things about Czech national team, World Cup etc.........

----------------------------
I really think Frolik will be Hudler 2.0 and will have his best NHL seasons in Flames uniform!!!!!

Go FLAMES!!!! Treliving is a master of GM!!!!! :-)

Greetings from Czech republic

That's a bold statement that I think WPG fans may take some offense to! I love the C of Red! But man, the fans at the MTS Centre are intense! I would love it if the Saddledome was able to match what they do. Strictly judging this based on what I've seen in highlights thought, so could be wrong.

That a side, really glad he signed with Calgary! sounds like he's excited to be here, and wants to be a Flame. Looking forward to seeing how well he does with us.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by MrCallahan

I love the C of Red! But man, the fans at the MTS Centre are intense! I would love it if the Saddledome was able to match what they do. Strictly judging this based on what I've seen in highlights thought, so could be wrong.

It helps that the MTS Centre is a small building and pretty wide open inside, so you can see and hear all the fans when they're making noise. The noisiest fans at the Saddledome tend to be way up in the nosebleeds where the rest of the building can hardly see or hear them.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by calgaryboy

-had like 15 mins on decison, take it or leave it

Interesting. Unless that is their standard negotiating tactic you have to think that there must have been another signing or trade in the wings if he said no.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Interesting. Unless that is their standard negotiating tactic you have to think that there must have been another signing or trade in the wings if he said no.

If you want to believe Treliving, there was nobody else. It was Frolik or nothing. I think that's pretty much verbatim of what he said in hi post frenzy presser.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by dammage79

If you want to believe Treliving, there was nobody else. It was Frolik or nothing. I think that's pretty much verbatim of what he said in hi post frenzy presser.

They always say that sort of thing, hard to believe that they weren't even considering anyone else to fill the RW need.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Jacks

They always say that sort of thing, hard to believe that they weren't even considering anyone else to fill the RW need.

Sure, not going to argue that but I think they'd be just as happy rolling in with the battalion of forwards they already have under the roof too. They kind of had the option of taking that stance of getting who we want or no one at all with the depth of youth here.

Frolik definitely is an upgrade but I tend to believe Brad's comments.

Looks like no body wants Alex Semin right now. May have to pull a Raymond and earn a spot on an invite.

Ward is too old for the Flames no matter which way you dice it.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Itse

As for getting stuck with Frolik, by all accounts he was a sought after player that was signed to a very reasonable contract. If he ends up being a luxury player we can't afford, he's easy to move. I wouldn't worry about it.

I believe it is a basic truth in Hockey.... When a UFA signs with a team he is getting the best deal possible and that no other team wanted to offer him any more money or term.

A UFA that doesn't work out simply can't be dumped until the very end of their contract usually as a desperate playoff rental.

Try and come up with an example where a player that was signed as a UFA was traded for an upgrade.

When Cammalleri burnt his bridges in Montreal they had to take back the worst Flame contract... Bourque.

Brian Campbell who was a big UFA signing for Chicago and key to their first SC win .... The Hawks had to pay 10M of Olez's salary to move Campbell out of town.

According to Frolik's Czech report the only teams that were interested was the Jets and the Flames.

The Jets got Stafford for 2 years @4.35 M. Stafford was a top line player in the Jet's run to the playoffs, much more of a factor than Frolik. I wouldn't be overly surprised if the Jets gave Frolik and Stafford a similar offer and the first guy to accept got it.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by calgaryboy

-watched Flames in play-offs, liked the C of Red very much, thinks CGY has even better fans than WPG

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

According to Frolik's Czech report the only teams that were interested was the Jets and the Flames.

Where does it say that? Didn't read that at all. There were plenty of other teams interested in Frolik, including the Penguins.

The Jets got Stafford for 2 years @4.35 M. Stafford was a top line player in the Jet's run to the playoffs, much more of a factor than Frolik. I wouldn't be overly surprised if the Jets gave Frolik and Stafford a similar offer and the first guy to accept got it.

That is why the Jets were reportedly pissed off at the Frolik signing? It was reported Frolik took less money to play in Calgary. The Jets offered more, but Frolik went where he thought opportunity was better. Also, Stafford was signed before the free agency period. He also signed for a shorted term. Frolik was still clearly in the Jets plans and they hoped he would accept their offer.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

It helps that the MTS Centre is a small building and pretty wide open inside, so you can see and hear all the fans when they're making noise. The noisiest fans at the Saddledome tend to be way up in the nosebleeds where the rest of the building can hardly see or hear them.

In the Ducks series Boudreau said something like Anaheim scouts that attended Duck games in Winnipeg and the Flames/Canuck series said it was louder in Calgary.

Impossible to say, but found it interesting.