[Signing] Flames sign Erik Gudbranson (1 yr, $1.95 mil)

[EVERLAST]

I think the Negativity after this signing had less to do with this team and more to do with what the world was facing and that ugliness just made its way onto CP.
Before the wins , before we knew anything at all it seems the narrative was just negative pure and simple.
Good God I'm glad allot of us were wrong because look at this team's performance NOW!!!
I'm a little giddy when I think of it....what a transformation from then to now.
Thanks DS.

[Mathgod]

I gave Erik a ton of criticism earlier in the season. He proved me completely wrong. Hopefully he keeps up this level of play!

[TheSquatch]

It was tough to be excited about much last year, and after the Flames flickering performance, hard to get on board with signing a big slow "Sutter type" defenseman.

He's been a pro and showed up ready from day 1, and has basically gotten better and better through the year.

I also think it's worth looking at one other fact: Kylington came out of nowhere, we were unsure he was every going to be a regular NHLer, and if he doesn't come along in leaps and bounds this year, maybe Gudbranson and the rest of the D don't slot as well and it looks poorer all around.

As is, very suddenly the regular D core here looks terrific and quite versatile. And having a super-tough guy on the ice pretty regularly is certainly keeping other teams at bay, with Looch, Gud, Zad, around, not much is happening in those scrums.

[Classic_Sniper]

I remember Sutter going out of his way to praise the way Montréal built their team last year and it was a very interesting look into Darryl’s mind. I think in a way, the Canadiens’ formula mirrors the way Darrl wants to build his team as well and Gudbranson is a major cog in the machine.

I know the cap will be tight, heck, I’ve been complaining about it endlessly for months. But I don’t see how the Flames don’t re-sign this guy with the season he’s having. An extension likely comes with a raise and maybe extra years attached, but he might be too important for the team to let go. Keeping him will likely come at the cost of someone else, but it might be necessary.

With Toffoli’s contract on the payroll for next season now, Monahan along with someone else’s contract will likely have to go. A Lucic move may be necessary too but I don’t think he’s trade-able nor do I think a buy out saves very much at all, so that might not even be an option. I suppose that leaves Dube and/or Hanifin as the other prime contracts that may not to be moved to build out the rest of the team.

[djsFlames]

Will need to move out Monahan

Hopefully a deep run where he contributes will create incentive around the league to grab him given that he also expires next year.

May have to let Zadorov walk also.

There's just no way that Lucic is tradeable at this stage. If he kept up his play on the first half there may have been.

I'd love to keep one of gudbranson or Zad. I think #44 is a little steadier game to game and can chip in goals. But the magic of that pairing has really been something that they've created together.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

Re-reading some of the posts in this thread is absolutely cringe inducing.

Meh...I get it. You're talking about guys like Zadorov and Gudbranson who are journeymen guys who have bounced around the league joining a team that underperformed so amazingly that they didnt even qualify for the playoffs out of the dismal 'Canadian Division.'

And you're adding players that generally other teams didnt want.

Thats not usually a good way to improve a roster. So the first impressions were tainted by past results.

Gudbranson and Zadorov are going to have career years this year. Who would have seen that coming?

[GioforPM]

I don’t think anyone understood how mobile these guys are. They aren’t that lumbering. And Sutter has them watching their position very well.

[Enoch Root]

Lucic might be attractive to a team that wants to get to the floor - $5.75M cap hit and only $1M in salary (if traded after his bonus is paid).

[FlamesAddiction]

I was never down about the signing. Not because I had any special insight, but the opposite. I didn't really pay attention to him before the signing. I just saw a big right-handed defenseman on a low-risk deal. Really glad it worked out.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Locke

Meh...I get it. You're talking about guys like Zadorov and Gudbranson who are journeymen guys who have bounced around the league joining a team that underperformed so amazingly that they didnt even qualify for the playoffs out of the dismal 'Canadian Division.'

And you're adding players that generally other teams didnt want.

Thats not usually a good way to improve a roster. So the first impressions were tainted by past results.

Gudbranson and Zadorov are going to have career years this year. Who would have seen that coming?

And Kylington has blossommed.

And Andersson has taken another step.

Things like systems, commitment, and quality of team matter when talking about defensemen. Who knew?

[dino7c]

Wow that first page aged poorly

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Lucic might be attractive to a team that wants to get to the floor - $5.75M cap hit and only $1M in salary (if traded after his bonus is paid).

Would be the perfect solution. But the biggest problem with trying to move Lucic is that he has an NMC and/or a very restrictive NTC. He will not be waiving it to go to some random crap team to help Treliving out. He likes it here, his best friend Toffoli is now here.

The sad truth is, Monahan, Dube and Hanifin are the most trade-able/moveable pieces. Backlund can probably be thrown into the mix, but may cost the team more just finding a comparable replacement. Coleman just signed here and Toffoli just arrived so they’re likely not options. I guess the team could let Mangiapane go, but then they’d lose their primary secondary scorer and really truly be a one line team. Gonna be a lot of tough decisions this summer.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

And Kylington has blossommed.

And Andersson has taken another step.

Things like systems, commitment, and quality of team matter when talking about defensemen. Who knew?

Well yeah, but again...we're operating with the most recent information available to us. The team was badly inconsistent the prior season and we were largely trotting out the same group of players with a couple of ageing journeyman.

I dont think anyone saw this coming.

And as I said in the PGT...I loved Gudbranson's goal last night. A huge bomb from the point.

[FormerPresJamesTaylor]

Gudbranson is a nice reclamation project that you let walk knowing Sutter can probably find another guy to slot in that spot next year.

[TheoFleury]

Originally Posted by FormerPresJamesTaylor

Gudbranson is a nice reclamation project that you let walk knowing Sutter can probably find another guy to slot in that spot next year.

He might take 2x1.5m and you'd keep what worked instead of another gamble. I wouldn't go higher in term or AAV though

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by TheoFleury

He might take 2x1.5m and you'd keep what worked instead of another gamble. I wouldn't go higher in term or AAV though

He made $1.95M coming off a bad year. Not sure why he would take a reduction when he's been quite good, even with a 2-year term.

He might well get $2.5-3M with some term. Hard to predict, but he'll certainly get more than $1.5M.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by TheoFleury

He might take 2x1.5m and you'd keep what worked instead of another gamble. I wouldn't go higher in term or AAV though

probably more like 2 X $3.5M (or more likely, 3 or 4 years)

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Would be the perfect solution. But the biggest problem with trying to move Lucic is that he has an NMC and/or a very restrictive NTC. He will not be waiving it to go to some random crap team to help Treliving out. He likes it here, his best friend Toffoli is now here.

The sad truth is, Monahan, Dube and Hanifin are the most trade-able/moveable pieces. Backlund can probably be thrown into the mix, but may cost the team more just finding a comparable replacement. Coleman just signed here and Toffoli just arrived so they’re likely not options. I guess the team could let Mangiapane go, but then they’d lose their primary secondary scorer and really truly be a one line team. Gonna be a lot of tough decisions this summer.

He waived for the expansion draft. Because he gets it.

[monkeyman]

Originally Posted by Locke

Meh...I get it. You're talking about guys like Zadorov and Gudbranson who are journeymen guys who have bounced around the league joining a team that underperformed so amazingly that they didnt even qualify for the playoffs out of the dismal 'Canadian Division.'

And you're adding players that generally other teams didnt want.

Thats not usually a good way to improve a roster. So the first impressions were tainted by past results.

Gudbranson and Zadorov are going to have career years this year. Who would have seen that coming?

The fact that they're both having career years is a bonus and not at all what makes these good signings. They were brought in to help build an identity and make this team much harder to play against. Those qualities have been apparent in their games for years. Some people got it, some made really cringe worthy comments.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Gudbranson is a guy that may more fully appreciate the importance of fit and being somewhere where he is trusted and excelling.
He's bounced around a ton. He's made a fair amount of money. Fit may outweigh some of the more traditional deciding factors.