2018/2019 Trade Speculation and Rumors

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Diane Phagoof

And only 2 of them are good.

Jankowski has not looked good.
Ryan has not looked good.

The only person on the second line that's producing is Tkachuk, that needs to change.

I think Backlund is/does his best work on the thirdline as an elite shutdown guy who chips in 20/20.

Something like Stone, Czarnik, 1st for Duchene

Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm
Tkachuk-Duchene-Neal
Bennett-Backlund-Frolik
Dube-Jankowski-Ryan

Giordano-Brodie
Hanifin-Hamonic
Valimaki-Andersson

Rittich
Smith


That's a scary team.

Goal is kinda scary all right.

You are underselling Backlund's offence a bit. And even if he is restricted to "elite shutdown man", no other centre is going to get the ice time to put up a lot of points. Monahan gets top line minutes, Backlund is out against the top lines of other teams. That's not a lot of time for another C to put up points.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Diane Phagoof

And only 2 of them are good.

Jankowski has not looked good.
Ryan has not looked good.

The only person on the second line that's producing is Tkachuk, that needs to change.

I think Backlund is/does his best work on the thirdline as an elite shutdown guy who chips in 20/20...

I personally prefer Backlund as an elite shutdown pivot who also generates a tonne of offensive zone time and chances. He is presently on pace for a career high in points, and is comfortably among the top-50 scoring centres in the League (bear in mind that this list includes players who are positionally slotted as centres while seldom lining up in this position).

Backlund is not nearly as good a player as Patrice Bergeron, but he is the same type of player in that he can and will eat the opposing team's best players alive on the ice, while simultaneously helping to drive offensive production. Mikael Backlund is a rare breed: a second line scoring centre who dominates defensively.

All that to say that I think the Flames are fine down the middle.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Diane Phagoof

And only 2 of them are good.

Jankowski has not looked good.
Ryan has not looked good.

The only person on the second line that's producing is Tkachuk, that needs to change.

I think Backlund is/does his best work on the thirdline as an elite shutdown guy who chips in 20/20.

Something like Stone, Czarnik, 1st for Duchene

Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm
Tkachuk-Duchene-Neal
Bennett-Backlund-Frolik
Dube-Jankowski-Ryan

Giordano-Brodie
Hanifin-Hamonic
Valimaki-Andersson

Rittich
Smith


That's a scary team.

"Only" two of them are good? Lindholms fine too. He's more a C than a winger but he's getting the top line RW because it's a natural fit.

Don't know what is hindering Janko so far but he's fine too and I fully expect him to iron out his kinks soon as well. Then, there's Dube, Czarnik, Bennett. OH and Ryan.

So I am mistaken. There's 8 capable centers on this team. C depth is fine. 8 out of 12 forwards can play center.

Again, goaltending the the striking weakness on this team. As much as some would prefer to roll with what we got I feel that's a terrible mistake. Long term as well.

[Ozy_Flame]

Notable names next July include Bobrovsky, Korpisalo, Varlamov and Talbot, who are all UFA's after this season. I don't think we need to trade for a goalie, I think someone is going to see an opportunity to start on a playoff-quality team like the Flames.

[Phagoof]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

No they don't have Crosby/Malkin. They don't have the offence of Backstrom/Kuznetsov.

But: Two years ago Nashville made the finals with a top 9 C lineup of Johansen, Fisher, Wilson. And they had great D, Rinne, and some really good wingers. Chicago's last cup came with Toews, Richards (who wasn't very good offensively) and Marcus Kruger/Vermette. They got really good goaltending out of all three guys who played, plus of course they had Kane, Hossa, Saad, Keith and Sharp. And Teravainen came on in the POs. Calgary's C depth is as good as those two.

To the first point. There is only one Rinne, which is something we cannot obtain. You might put Bob in the same category, but his playoff performance has not looked good. He can win all the Vezinas he wants. If you can't perform in the playoffs as a goalie, I don't see the point in acquiring them.

To the second point, I like Monahan, but if you had the option. you take Toews 10/10. 100%, everyday of the week. Not comparable players in my mind. You could argue Backlund/Richards were similarish. I'd take Vermette/Kruger over a Janko/Ryan as a third line center. So TBH, I don't see what you're getting at.

[Macho0978]

I know it’s early but the flames have 4 players in the top 13 in points and 5 in the top 30. After that you still backlund who is on pace for 55 points, Frolik on pace for 40 goals and Bennett Neal dube all getting chances just not finishing.

On d you have Anderson and Valimaki playing decent and playing on pk at times and on top pairing at times and in late game scenarios at times. There is a lot of potential on this team to improve both at forward and d


Goalies are a nightmare though both nhl and ahl. Rittich is the only one playing well. If you can land a bob type goalie you have to consider it

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Notable names next July include Bobrovsky, Korpisalo, Varlamov and Talbot, who are all UFA's after this season. I don't think we need to trade for a goalie, I think someone is going to see an opportunity to start on a playoff-quality team like the Flames.

I think people are looking at something for this season.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Seriously? His SP is sitting at 0.871 and his GAA is 3.71. Those are substantially below his career averages, and while I don't expect him to be a 0.915 goalie this season I don't think it is unreasonable at all to see him comfortably above the 0.905 mark, which is a significant improvement from where he sits now.

I'm really shaken in my belief of Smith since the Colorado game. I've posted prior to that game I'm fine giving Smith until Game #25 to sort it out but I also had not watched the Flames for 5 weeks before that game too. That guy looks broken and it's damned scary to me to think we are going to run a whole season with a giant red flag from Smith. And Rittich as solid as he appears, is still a risk if you're going to give him a run of games. It's all sketchy as heck and not confidence inspiring.

Sink or swim time soon for Rittich I guess. But does anyone really think this management team is looking at what we have anywhere else and NOT out there working to figure out if they can get a Bob or something like that?

I bet you they're skittish about goaltending as well.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Diane Phagoof

... I like Monahan, but if you had the option. you take Toews 10/10. 100%, everyday of the week. Not comparable players in my mind. You could argue Backlund/Richards were similarish. I'd take Vermette/Kruger over a Janko/Ryan as a third line center. So TBH, I don't see what you're getting at.

Nope.

[keenan87]

The Flames have a young core and they need to start winning before the cap gets out of hand.

I have zero issues with trading a first for Bobrovsky if he is willing to sign for a decent deal. The Flames have crapped the bed on picks outside of the Top 10 for decades so I am perfectly okay with missing out on the next Nemisz or Poirier or Klimchuk.

[Phagoof]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Nope.

Are you seriously making a case that you think Monahan is better than Toews?

I mean, if you are I don't even know what to say.

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by Diane Phagoof

Are you seriously making a case that you think Monahan is better than Toews?

I mean, if you are I don't even know what to say.

I don't know about better but with his age/contract, I would currently take Monahan over Toews.

[Phagoof]

Originally Posted by keenan87

The Flames have a young core and they need to start winning before the cap gets out of hand.

I have zero issues with trading a first for Bobrovsky if he is willing to sign for a decent deal. The Flames have crapped the bed on picks outside of the Top 10 for decades so I am perfectly okay with missing out on the next Nemisz or Poirier or Klimchuk.

Nemisz the next Perry

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I'm really shaken in my belief of Smith since the Colorado game. I've posted prior to that game I'm fine giving Smith until Game #25 to sort it out but I also had not watched the Flames for 5 weeks before that game too. That guy looks broken and it's damned scary to me to think we are going to run a whole season with a giant red flag from Smith...

He looks to me like he is in a funk, but In still believe that most of the issues which plague Smith have to do with the voodoo curse on how he plays in the Saddledome. That is for the time being a controllable variable, and I think there is still time to work this out.

And Rittich as solid as he appears, is still a risk if you're going to give him a run of games. It's all sketchy as heck and not confidence inspiring.

Agreed, which is why I commit to a 50/50 split between the two goalies as opposed to running with Rittich for a string now.

Sink or swim time soon for Rittich I guess. But does anyone really think this management team is looking at what we have anywhere else and NOT out there working to figure out if they can get a Bob or something like that?

I bet you they're skittish about goaltending as well.

I don't doubt t it, but I am also convinced that management is taking a measured approach to this. I would be surprised to see ANY trade for a goalie in season unless it provides a significant upgrade, and I don't think those deals are in the offing right now.

[Phagoof]

Originally Posted by keenan87

I don't know about better but with his age/contract, I would currently take Monahan over Toews.

Oh, well right now yes. But I was referring to Chi when they were a force to be reckoned with and they were cup contenders perennially.

I'd take a Toews in his prime over any center not named Crosby/McDavid/Malkin. He is the the reason Chicago won those three cups.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Diane Phagoof

Are you seriously making a case that you think Monahan is better than Toews?

I mean, if you are I don't even know what to say.

In this world of what have you done for me lately? Absolutely, yup. Monahan over Toews 10 times out of 10. Them cups runs have used up all 20m a year they put into those two players. Heck I'd put Toews right now slightly ahead of Backlund on this teams depth chart. But at 10m a season until the end of time? Not a chance in Hades.

You can't just go out and say Toews 10 times out of 10 as of today because they're at different parts of their careers. and make vastly different money which factors into how your team is built. I'll take Monahan a million times out of a million actually, given the factored in mileage and cost of each player.

We cannot just chuck a 23 year old Toews out on the ice today now can we. wait we can kind of. He's Sean Monahan.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Diane Phagoof

Are you seriously making a case that you think Monahan is better than Toews?

I mean, if you are I don't even know what to say.

I would take Monahan every day of the week and twice on Sundays over the most overrated C in hockey. That contract is top 5 for worst contracts in the NHL.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Diane Phagoof

Oh, well right now yes. But I was referring to Chi when they were a force to be reckoned with and they were cup contenders perennially.

I'd take a Toews in his prime over any center not named Crosby/McDavid/Malkin. He is the the reason Chicago won those three cups.

Well that is like me saying I would take Gretzky in his prime over Toews every time. Not sure what that has to do with today.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Diane Phagoof

Are you seriously making a case that you think Monahan is better than Toews?

I mean, if you are I don't even know what to say.

They are not especially comparable players, so I won't comment on whether one is better than the other. But with how the Flames are constructed I most certainly have no problem with Monahan centring the top line over Jonathan Toews.

[Phagoof]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Well that is like me saying I would take Gretzky in his prime over Toews every time. Not sure what that has to do with today.

Because I quoted the guy referring to Chicago's center depth when they won the last cup. So I assumed we referring to "that" Toews.


http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/p....php?pid=93829

Look at those playoff numbers. Yeah.