[Rumour] Friedman: UPD: Flames looking for a winger pref with edge and maybe a goalie

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Bouwmeester trade is one of the worst trades in franchise history.

Well if they get a player at 23 that turned out we would be singing a different tune. I can argue the GM did his job and the scouts failed.

[Par]

Going forward(into this season and the future), are Elliot and Johnson good or would you be happy if the Flames went after a goalie before March 1?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well if they get a player at 23 that turned out we would be singing a different tune. I can argue the GM did his job and the scouts failed.

Yes whiffing on the pick didn't help, but Cundari and Berra were fledgling prospects. Flames were fortunate the Avs saw something in Berra.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Par

Going forward(into this season and the future), are Elliot and Johnson good or would you be happy if the Flames went after a goalie before March 1?

I don't think Elliott or Johnson have proven they're cable of carrying a team this season.

Total number of goalies who have placed 20 or more games: 47

Brian Elliott:
Save %: 44th
GAA: 35th

Chad Johnson:
Save %: 27th
GAA: 21st

Elliott is awful and Johnson is middle of the pack.

The question isn't "should the Flames upgrade their goaltending", because that's an automatic "Yes". The real question is whether or not a clear upgrade will be available, and I'm not so sure. Everyone out there has questions marks around them.

Rumoured to be available:

Ben Bishop - his season has been a down one (just like everyone else on Tampa), but he does have an elite level performance history. He's proven he can be a top goalie, and perhaps a 20 game audition here in Calgary to close out the season could give the Flames the opportunity to see if he's worth an extension.

Mike Smith - looks to have suffered a concussion the other night, not sure how long he'll be out. *Update - turns out he's not concussed, he was pulled out by an NHL spotter but is totally healthy. Would be great to get Smith if Arizona can retain salary.

Ryan Miller - LA rumoured to be interested, Vancouver may take a run at re-signing him.

Marc Andre Fleury - he's having a bad season, but does have a proven track record of consistently being a top 15 goalie in the league.

Not rumoured to be available, but could he be? Cory Schneider - New Jersey looks to be entering a full blown rebuild, so would Schneider be made available? He wouldn't come cheap, but as far as quality is concerned, if he's available, there wouldn't be a better goalie to go after in my eyes.

[ClubFlames]

Originally Posted by Monahan For Mayor

Sucks that we missed on, Burakovksy, Theodore, Dano, McCarron, and Hartman to pick Poirier. Those players all already making NHL impacts and picked right after Poirier.

Dammit! Next time tell us beforehand who is gonna be an NHL player from the upcoming draft so we can let the management know.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well if they get a player at 23 that turned out we would be singing a different tune. I can argue the GM did his job and the scouts failed.

He wasn't even a UFA...what was the ####ing rush to trade him?

[Par]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I don't think Elliott or Johnson have proven they're cable of carrying a team this season.

Total number of goalies who have placed 20 or more games: 47

Brian Elliott:
Save %: 44th
GAA: 35th

Chad Johnson:
Save %: 27th
GAA: 21st

Elliott is awful and Johnson is middle of the pack.

The question isn't "should the Flames upgrade their goaltending", because that's an automatic "Yes". The real question is whether or not a clear upgrade will be available, and I'm not so sure. Everyone out there has questions marks around them.

Rumoured to be available:

Ben Bishop - his season has been a down one (just like everyone else on Tampa), but he does have an elite level performance history. He's proven he can be a top goalie, and perhaps a 20 game audition here in Calgary to close out the season could give the Flames the opportunity to see if he's worth an extension.

Mike Smith - looks to have suffered a concussion the other night, not sure how long he'll be out.

Ryan Miller - LA rumoured to be interested, Vancouver may take a run at re-signing him.

Marc Andre Fleury - he's having a bad season, but does have a proven track record of consistently being a top 15 goalie in the league.

Not rumoured to be available, but could he be? Cory Schneider - New Jersey looks to be entering a full blown rebuild, so would Schneider be made available? He wouldn't come cheap, but as far as quality is concerned, if he's available, there wouldn't be a better goalie to go after in my eyes.

Would you look at young guy like Petr Mrazek? Cory Schneider would be very good but the cost would be high but worth it.

[bigrangy]

Mrazek would be the dream.

Also on Tim and Sid, Burke said that the team feels like they won't be making any goaltending changes at the deadline. They're not satisfied with what they have but they think they'll be moving forward with what they have.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Bouwmeester trade is one of the worst trades in franchise history.

Maybe because of perceived value by others but Jay Bouwmeester is a career loser that we are much better not having on the roster. I have never seen a player like him that the more pressure is put on him the worse he plays and it is not small, it is significantly worse.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Yes whiffing on the pick didn't help, but Cundari and Berra were fledgling prospects. Flames were fortunate the Avs saw something in Berra.

Even the Berra/Avs trade ended up being undermined by poor scouting, as that pick became Hunter "Big Rig" Smith, he of 2 goals and 10 points in his second year in the AHL (the same numbers as Tyler Wotherspoon, for the record).

The whole lineage of that trade is a freaking train wreck.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Even the Berra/Avs trade ended up being undermined by poor scouting, as that pick became Hunter "Big Rig" Smith, he of 2 goals and 10 points in his second year in the AHL (the same numbers as Tyler Wotherspoon, for the record).

The whole lineage of that trade is a freaking train wreck.

Yeah a freaking terrible pick. Brian Burke ladies and gentlemen.

[bigrangy]

I hate having to continually defend Smith around here but he is not nearly as bad as everyone makes it seem.

You've got a 6'7" beast who loves to get nasty scoring at a respectable rate in the OHL in his draft+1 as a pretty young guy for his draft year. He then goes on to have another pretty good season culminating in a Memorial Cup win.

Then he goes to the AHL, gets played on the 4h line, and outproduces Klimchuk, a former 1st round pick. This year, he's playing 4th line again and has posted very good numbers for the limited ice time he gets.

There is a player there. He's no worse of a pick than Poirier at this point.

[Svartsengi]

Hunter Smith was the 54th pick in a draft not regarded as good. He was ranked by central scouting very close to that spot. He might make it he might not but talent was pretty thin that year. Flames got Bennett and that could be it.

[The Fonz]

Smith shouldn't be written off yet. He may not be a sexy pick, but the guy has improved his game every season. Often times prospect development seems to stall 2-3 years out from their draft years (Shinkaruk, Hickey), or even regress (Poirier). It's encouraging to see that he is still improving.

Same can be said for Jankowski. They've been baby steps, but the guy seems to move forward each season.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

He's no worse of a pick than Poirier at this point.

Have to question Poirier's determination at this point. His career trajectory is tanking quicker than Greg Nemisz' did.

[bubbsy]

Can smith skate fast enough to ever make it?

[Vinny01]

I could still see Bishop as a target. If the Flames are considering signing him this summer a 20 game audition would be beneficial. Wonder if a team is looking at Elliott? He is getting the start against Tampa tomorrow and personally after last night I don't think he deserves it?

Elliott+ for Bishop??

I know Bishop is having a poor season as well but perhaps a trade gets him going?

[tsquared1967]

Flames have 7 forwards drafted by the team on the current roster, 3 straight from Junior, 1 from US College and 3 spent time in the AHL.

Backlund played 54 games in the AHL in 2009-10 with 15 goals and 17 assists. Played 23 games with the Flames with 1 goal and 9 assists.

Ferland played 57 games in the AHL in 2013-15 with 13 goals and 20 assists. Played 26 games with the Flames in 2014-15 season with 2 goals and 3 assists.

Bouma played 61 games in the AHL in 2010-11 with 12 goals and 8 assists. Played 16 games with the Flames with 0 goals and 1 assist.

Flames now have Mark Jankowski who have played 50 games in the AHL with 18 goals and 21 assists. Time to promote him for the last 20 games this year.

Flames also have Hunter Smith who have played 84 games in the AHL. Would rather have Smith play here instead of Chaisson, both can't skate, both can't score, but Chaisson is good at hurting another guy's fist with his face.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Smith shouldn't be written off yet. He may not be a sexy pick, but the guy has improved his game every season. Often times prospect development seems to stall 2-3 years out from their draft years (Shinkaruk, Hickey), or even regress (Poirier). It's encouraging to see that he is still improving.

Same can be said for Jankowski. They've been baby steps, but the guy seems to move forward each season.

The argument about jankowski is over in my opinion, it's never been about his year to year improvement, it's been about selecting him ahead of other players, specifically, the players picked immediately after him.

Olli Maatta has played 214 games for a cup contender at this point The argument for whether Jankowski was a good pick compared to who was drafted immediately after is over.

Now it's all about hoping Janko turns into an NHL player. Hopefully the Flames can get 214+ meaningful games out of him.

It will be the same objection about Smith. Dvorak, picked 4 spots later, is contributing offensively in the NHL this season, but unlike Jankowski, there aren't exactly a line of guys picked after Smith who are tearing up the league or even forcing their way into NHL lineups.

I don't think Smith was a bad pick, really. He's the kind of guy you take a flyer on in the second round because if he can put his size together with a different NHL calibre skill, he's easily a professional. Kanzig by comparison is probably a much bigger reach.

Janko with Pearson and Maatta picked basically immediately afterwards looks a heck of a lot different. Especially because of the importance of the 1st rounder.

[868904]

Originally Posted by tsquared1967

Flames also have Hunter Smith who have played 84 games in the AHL. Would rather have Smith play here instead of Chaisson, both can't skate, both can't score, but Chaisson is good at hurting another guy's fist with his face.

I hope you aren't calling Smith up to be an enforcer, because he kinda sucks at fighting. If he makes the NHL, it will be because he has improved his skating enough to win board battles and win the puck on the forecheck.