[Rumour] UPD: Jagr confirms Flames have interest in him.

[TheScorpion]

Wow, I actually agree with Donald Trump on this one!

[Spinach]

The idiot in the White House is the 45th president.
Jaromir Jagr is not an idiot, and is 45 years old.
Coincidence? I think not.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Originally Posted by Spinach

The idiot in the White House is the 45th president.
Jaromir Jagr is not an idiot, and is 45 years old.
Coincidence? I think not.

What idiot in the White House?

[saXon]

Originally Posted by H2SO4(aq)

What idiot in the White House?

All of them. Blanket statements are easiest.

[Gaudreau is a Ninja]

Man every time I see this thread has been bumped I want Jagr news😫

[drewtastic]

Originally Posted by Gaudreau is a Ninja

Man every time I see this thread has been bumped I want Jagr news

A classic WCW Nitro Swerve (TM) #VinnyRu

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by H2SO4(aq)

What idiot in the White House?

The sentence said 45th president. Don't be obtuse.

[spuzzum]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

The sentence said 45th president. Don't be obtuse.

It's not nice calling someone fat.

[kehatch]

I am not sure why people are frantic for the kids to get a chance. The Flames have shown they are willing to make room when a kid earns a spot.

In Treliving's three seasons 31 rookies have played a game or more in the NHL. A rookie has graduated to the team each season. Over 500 games have been played by a rookie in those 3 seasons. I can't think of a single kid that earned a spot and didn't get an opportunity in his tenure.

This is just a bunch of hand wringing. If Foo, Jankowski, or another earns a spot on the the team then a guy like Stajan, Versteeg, Lazar, Brouwer, Hamilton, or another will sit. And that assumes we are 100% healthy and we need to sit anyone. The Flames were one of the healthiest teams in the NHL last season (and still managed to fit Tkachuk on the roster when he made the team).

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by kehatch

The Flames were one of the healthiest teams in the NHL last season (and still managed to fit Tkachuk on the roster when he made the team).

This is obviously not the case. They signed Versteeg (the horror! the horror!), so clearly they cannot have had any rookies on the roster. Poor Tkachuk! His entire development ruined by the evil old men who insist on running the Flames into the ground because of their irrational hatred of rookies!

[Vulcan]

I think there will be at least one rookie on defence and probably another on offence. They may not have a starting position but they still should get lots of ice time.

[Coach]

It's not like the team is a bunch of grizzled vets already. Most of the core is under 25. 1 impact player is a teenager.

[Groot]

I think the Flames have 8 forwards that are guaranteed in the starting lineup, and the rest of the spots will be decided in camp. Gaudreau, Monahan, Ferland, 3M line, Versteeg, Bennett. I also hope to add Jagr to that list.

Stajan, Brouwer, Lazar, Hamilton, Jankowski, Foo are fighting for the last 4 spots (3 with Jagr), and the chance to play up in the lineup when injuries hit, unless someone else surprises in camp. I have no reason to believe that if any of the young guys outplay and deserve the spots over a Brouwer or Stajan, Gully or Treliving will have no problem with them watching from the press box or even down in the AHL if that's what is best for the team.

[GreenLantern2814]

Nobody who's actually good has been denied a roster spot under Treliving.

Gaudreau made the team. Tkachuk made the team. Kulak keeps making the team out of camp. Valimaki will probably step into the NHL after this season.

Nobody is here who doesn't deserve to be.

[bubbsy]

Well other than Grossman, right?

[Mr.Coffee]

People like to say that the rookies have to be better to 'earn a spot', and that's great and all, but the statement sort of ignores key facts that complicate the decision making process.

For one, contracts have a big role in who stays or goes. One or two way contracts, or even just the notion that you could send a guy with a high salary down in favour of a rookie who has a better camp... I think sometimes GM's don't want a lot of money playing in the minors as it may make them look bad. For example, I could see a guy like Stajan or Brouwer get outplayed in camp and still remain with the big club because they have reputations, built up a bit of a name and have big salaries.

Also, sure seems like every single year we get a player or three who has a tremendous camp yet still gets sent down for some middling veteran. It does actually seem to happen annually, and people seem to forget. So I don't completely share the concept that 'best players make the team' or that the NHL is a true meritocracy. Also don't think this is unique to the Flames for that matter.

Therefore, I think if people are worried that a vet gets signed like Jagr and bumps an up-and-coming rookie, that that worry is somewhat legitimate.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Nobody who's actually good has been denied a roster spot under Treliving.

Gaudreau made the team. Tkachuk made the team. Kulak keeps making the team out of camp. Valimaki will probably step into the NHL after this season.

Nobody is here who doesn't deserve to be.

Hathaway should be in the NHL in my opinion. Wotherspoon was relegated to basically a travel companion with the team, never really given a chance.

I don't think your statement is true. Bouma was not good last year. Brouwer looked like an ECHLer..

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Hathaway should be in the NHL in my opinion. Wotherspoon was relegated to basically a travel companion with the team, never really given a chance.

I don't think your statement is true. Bouma was not good last year. Brouwer looked like an ECHLer..

Hathaway is a 12/13th forward with little to no potential to be more than that.

Wotherspoon is, at best, a #6 d-man.

I'm sorry, but when we're talking about those type of roster spots - who cares. Yes, it's good to have young hungry players, but it's not like we're talking about signing Matt Hendricks to suppress Garnet Hathaway's ability to make the NHL in that roster spot. We're talking about Jaromir Jagr, who is coming off a 46 point season. So to fill that role, we're likely looking at Spencer Foo, Emile Poirier, Andrew Eatbread or so on. None of those players will suffer with an additional year of development down in the AHL. You know what they will suffer from? A year at the NHL where they're expected to score more than the other options available (Jaromir Jagr), and given CP's clear lack of patience when it comes to player development at the NHL level I find it hilarious that some people are lobbying for a scoring roster spot to go to a youngster, none of which have proven to be ready for that type of roster spot in the NHL.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Hathaway is a 12/13th forward with little to no potential to be more than that.

Wotherspoon is, at best, a #6 d-man.

I'm sorry, but when we're talking about those type of roster spots - who cares. Yes, it's good to have young hungry players, but it's not like we're talking about signing Matt Hendricks to suppress Garnet Hathaway's ability to make the NHL in that roster spot. We're talking about Jaromir Jagr, who is coming off a 46 point season. So to fill that role, we're likely looking at Spencer Foo, Emile Poirier, Andrew Eatbread or so on. None of those players will suffer with an additional year of development down in the AHL. You know what they will suffer from? A year at the NHL where they're expected to score more than the other options available (Jaromir Jagr), and given CP's clear lack of patience when it comes to player development at the NHL level I find it hilarious that some people are lobbying for a scoring roster spot to go to a youngster, none of which have proven to be ready for that type of roster spot in the NHL.

Yeah I guess we just disagree. A player like Poirier is used to being a star who scores a crapload of points and gets a lot of icetime. These types of players never do get a shot on the Flames because Calgary's constantly been signing vets in the offseason to fill those spots for like the last two decades. So what will happen is a guy like Poirier is going to be expected to crack line 3/4 and be a grinder but that's not the type of player he is or excels at. So yes, signing Jagr does bump a player that possibly could have emerged as a legitimate second line winger and scoring threat who's younger and cheaper.

Not every player "gets broken" by being brought into the NHL too early. These are people and they all have different growth projections once they make the NHL. Some can hack it, some can't, but the Flames usually are really reluctant to give rookies a chance.

Also Hathaway is better than a guy like, say, Bouma. Works harder and energizes the team more. Bouma got paid, got injured, and no longer was interested in doing what he did to get that big contract. That happens a lot, but it shouldn't make him entitled to a spot that I think a guy like Hathaway is outplaying him for. Lastly, you say who cares about these types of roles, but again I disagree strongly. Your bottom forward lines need to be good to properly support your star / scoring lines.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Yeah I guess we just disagree. A player like Poirier is used to being a star who scores a crapload of points and gets a lot of icetime. These types of players never do get a shot on the Flames because Calgary's constantly been signing vets in the offseason to fill those spots for like the last two decades. So what will happen is a guy like Poirier is going to be expected to crack line 3/4 and be a grinder but that's not the type of player he is or excels at. So yes, signing Jagr does bump a player that possibly could have emerged as a legitimate second line winger and scoring threat who's younger and cheaper.

Not every player "gets broken" by being brought into the NHL too early. These are people and they all have different growth projections once they make the NHL. Some can hack it, some can't, but the Flames usually are really reluctant to give rookies a chance.

Also Hathaway is better than a guy like, say, Bouma. Works harder and energizes the team more. Bouma got paid, got injured, and no longer was interested in doing what he did to get that big contract. That happens a lot, but it shouldn't make him entitled to a spot that I think a guy like Hathaway is outplaying him for. Lastly, you say who cares about these types of roles, but again I disagree strongly. Your bottom forward lines need to be good to properly support your star / scoring lines.

I think I'd agree with you more if ANY of our drafted prospects who weren't given a shot actually went on to have productive NHL scoring careers (...or careers at all, really).

Other than Paul Byron (not drafted by us), it's hard for me to look around the league for a former homegrown Flame where I'd actually say "damn, we screwed up by giving...Owen Nolan a 1 year contract".